Search for AAA &&& denotes the text part at, which I stopped working XXXX = the place where I stopped working on updating the Koran quotations SSSS the place where I stopped extracting soul food Almsgiving = charity? Check all occasions Check the usage of saints and replace as necessary REVITALISATION OF THE SCIENCES OF RELIGION Al-Ghazalis Ihya Ulum al-Din 2001 www.Allah.com The Mosque of the Internet Abridged in Arabic by A. Haroun, first English translation by Dr. A. Zidan and data entry by Nadeerah Rodriguez Final Enlgish revision by Grand Shaykh, Professor Hasan Qaribullah Dean of Umm Durman Islamic University Shaykh, Ahmad Darwish mosque@mosque.com Reviewed by the former manager of Muhammad Ali Vol. 1 IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MERCIFUL, THE MOST MERCIFUL All Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon Muhammad, His worshipper and Messenger. INTRODUCTION Imam Ghazali opened his book with the instruction of the Creator to His worshipers in the following verse: Whatever the Messenger (Prophet Muhammad) gives you, accept it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain. (Koran 59 verse 7) Ghazali then drew attention to the fact that even the most devout person, try as hard and continuously as he/she may, can never do justice to the Glory of the Creator (Arabic Allah) and praise Him as He should be praised. He continued by asking Allah to bless, praise and venerate Prophet Muhammad and all the prophets and messengers, and sought the help of Allah in writing this book. Imam Ghazali sought and achieved a balance between the spiritual and material aspect of life. His search began for his own personal salvation but later on became the sound advice for all societies. To achieve this balance the imam devised a methodology that kept the spiritual and material domains intact in their richness by removing contamination, manipulation and ignorance by demonstrating both example and reason, which was inherited from the prophets and the words of the Creator. Imam Ghazali was, and has remained to this day, one of the worlds greatest theologians that ever lived and attracted a tremendous number of followers from each sector of society who sought to learn the success of his balancing through their multiple questions. The nature of these questions reached the point where the imam became greatly disturbed and as he detected the hand of satan deluding people into thinking that what they were doing was good, with religious support and for, which they might expect a reward from the Creator. It was for this reason that Ghazali recognized their was an obligation upon him to write this book The Revival of Religious Science, because Prophet Muhammad . This book diagnosed the sickness of society and provided it with the much-needed cure through, which he provided in the remedy for the ailing society that made this worldly life successful and led to the even greater success in the life of the Hereafter. From these questions the imam The imam It was through these questions the imam Imam Ghazali while he was trying to strike the balance between the spiritual and material aspects of his life and that of society devoted his life to the best methodology while keeping both the s and m intake of their richness keeping them uncontaminated, spoled or manipulated, so people start to latch on to him and ask him many questions since this is everyones cure. He decided to come up with this book therefore he decided not to remain silent any long and speak out I am no longer obliged to remain silent, because the responsibility to speak, as well as warn you, has been imposed upon me by your persistent straying from the clear truth, and by your insistence upon fostering evil, flattering ignorance, and stirring up opposition against him who, in order to conform to the dictates of knowledge, deviates from custom and the established practice of men. AAAA In doing this he fulfills the prescriptions of Allah for purifying the self SHOULD THIS READ In doing SUCH HE IS IN NEED FOR THE PRESCRIPTIONS OF ALLAH FOR PURIFYING THE SELFan reforming the heart, thus somewhat redeeming a life, which has already been dissipated in despair of prevention and remedy, and avoids by it the company of him whom the Lawgiver (Muhammad, may Allah praise and venerate him) described when he said: AAAA should this read benefited instead of blessed? 2nd line The most severely punished of all men on the Day of Resurrection will be a learned man whom Allah has not blessed with His knowledge. For, by my life, there is no reason for your abiding arrogance except the sickness, which has become an epidemic among the multitudes. That sickness consists in not discerning this matters importance, the gravity of the problem, and the seriousness of the crisis; in not seeing that life is waning and that what is to come is close at hand, that death is imminent but that the journey is still long, that the provisions are scanty, the dangers great, and the road blocked. The perceptive know that only knowledge and works devoted to Allah avail. To tread the crowded and dangerous path of the Hereafter with neither guide nor companion is difficult, tiring, and strenuous. The guides for the road are the learned men who are the heirs of the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - but the times are void of them now and only the superficial are left, most of whom have been lured by iniquity and overcome by satan. Everyone of them was so wrapped up in his immediate fortune that he came to see good as evil and evil as good, so that the science of the religion disappeared and the torch of the true faith was extinguished all over the world. They duped the people into believing that there was no knowledge except such ordinances of government as the judges sue to settle disputes when the mob riots. Or, the type of argument, which the proud display in order to confuse and refute; or the elaborate and flowery language with, which the preacher seeks to lure the common people. They did this because, apart from these three, they could find no other way to snare illegal profit and the riches of the world. On the other hand the science of the path of the Hereafter, which our fore-fathers trod and, which includes what Allah called in His Book law, wisdom, knowledge, enlightenment, light, guidance and righteousness, has vanished from among mankind and been completely forgotten. Since this is a calamity afflicting religion and a grave crisis overshadowing it, I have therefore deemed it important to engage in the writing of this book; to revive the science of religion, to bring to light the exemplary lives of the departed Imans, and to show what branches of knowledge the prophets and virtuous fathers regarded as useful. I have divided the work into four parts or quarters. These are: the Acts of Worship, the Customs of Life, the Destructive Matters in Life, and the Saving Matters in Life. I begin the work with the Book of Knowledge because it is of the utmost importance first of all determine the knowledge, which Allah has, through His Messenger, ordered the elite to seek. This is shown by the words of the Messenger of Allah when he said: Seeking knowledge is an ordinance obligatory upon every Muslim. Furthermore, I began with Book of Knowledge in order to distinguish between useful and harmful knowledge, as the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - said: We seek refuge in Allah from useless knowledge. It is also to show the deviation of the people of this age from right conduct, their delusion as by a glistening mirage, and their satisfaction with the husks of knowledge rather than the path. The quarter on the Acts of Worship comprises ten books: The Book of Knowledge The Articles of Faith The Mysteries of Purity The Mysteries of Prayer The Mysteries of Almsgiving The Mysteries of Fasting The Mysteries of Pilgrimage The Rules of Reading the Koran On Invocations and Supplications On the Office of Potions The quarter of customs comprises ten books: The Ethics of Eating The Ethics of Marriage The Ethics of Earning a Livelihood On the Lawful and the Unlawful The Ethics of Companionship and Fellowship with the Various Types of People On Seclusion The Ethics of Travel On Audition and Emotion On Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil The Ethics of Living as Exemplified in the Virtues of the Prophet The quarter on the destructive matters of life comprises ten books: On the Wonders of the Heart On the Discipline of the Soul The Breaking of the Two Desires The Evil of the Tongue The Condemnation of Anger, Rancor and Envy The Condemnation of Worldliness The Condemnation of Miserliness and Love of Wealth The Condemnation of Prestige and Hypocrisy The Condemnation of Pride and Conceit The Condemnation of Vanity The quarter on the saving matters of life comprises ten books: On Repentance On Patience and Gratitude On Fear and Hope On Poverty and Asceticism On Divine Oneness and Dependence On Love, Longing, Intimacy and Contentment On Intentions, Truthfulness and Sincerity On Self-Examination and Self Accounting On Meditation On Death In the quarter on the Acts of Worship I shall mention some of the hidden elements of its meanings. These, the active learned person badly needs, without their knowledge no one will be versed in the science of the Hereafter. Most of this information has bee neglected in theological studies. In the quarter on the Customs of Life I shall deal with the rules of the practical religion current among men, its deep mysteries, intricate technique, and the piety concealed in its rules of conduct, which no religious person can do without. In the quarter on the Destructive Matter of Life I shall enumerate every abhorred trait whose exposure the Koran has ordered, as well as dealing with the purifying of the soul and cleansing of the heart from them. Under every one of these straits I shall give its definition, the truth about it, its origin, its evil consequences, its symptoms, and finally its treatment. To all this will be added illustrations from the Koran, tradition, and antiquity. In the quarter on the Saving Matters of Life, I shall enumerate every praiseworthy trait and every one of the desirable qualities of the favorites of Allah (al-muqarrabun) and the saints, by means of, which the worshipper seeks to draw near to the Lord of the Universe. Similarly, under every quality I shall give its definition, the truth about it, its origin, its fruit, the sign by, which it is known, its excellence, which renders it desirable, together with examples to illustrate it from the fields of law and reason. It is true that men have written several works on some of these aspects, but this one differs from them in five ways: First, by clarifying what they have obscured and elucidating what they treated casually. Second, by arranging what they have disarranged, and organizing what they have scattered. Third, by ensuring what they have elaborated, and correcting what they have approved. Fourth, by deleting what they have repeated then verifying what they have set down. Fifth, by determining ambiguous matters, which have hitherto been unintelligible and never dealt with in any work. For, although all have followed one course, there is no reason why one should not proceed independently and bring to light something unknown, paying special attention to what his/her colleagues have forgotten. It is possible that such obscure things are noticed, but mention of them in writing is overlooked. Or, again, it may not be a case of overlooking them, but rather one of being prevented from exposing them. These, therefore, are the characteristics of this work, which comprises the aggregate of the previously enumerated sciences. Two things have induced me to divide the work into four quarters. The first and original motive is that such an arrangement in research and exposition is imperative because the science by, which we approach the Hereafter is divided into the science of revelation and the science practical religion. By the science of revelation I mean knowledge and only knowledge. By the science of practical religion I mean knowledge as well as action in accordance with that knowledge. This work will deal only with the science of practical religion, and not with revelation, which one is not permitted to record in writing, although it is the ultimate aim of saints and the desire of the eyes of the sincere. The science of practical religion is merely a path, which leads to revelation and only through that path did the Prophets of Allah communicate with the people and lead them to Him. Concerning revelation itself, the Prophets spoke only figuratively and briefly through signs and symbols, because they realized the inability of mans mind to comprehend. Therefore since the learned men are heirs of the Prophets, they cannot but follow in their footsteps and emulate their way. Furthermore, the science of practical religion is divided into outward science, by, which is meant that of the functions of the senses, and inward science, by, which is meant that of the functions of the heart. The bodily organs perform either acts of worship or usages of life, while the heart, because it is removed from the senses and belongs to the world of dominion, is subject to either praiseworthy or blameworthy (influences). Inevitably, therefore, this science divides itself into two parts outward and inward. The outward, which pertains to the senses, is subdivided into acts of worship and customs of life; the inward, which relates to the conditions of the heart and the qualities of the soul, is subdivided into things that are praiseworthy and things, which are objectionable. Together these constitute the four parts of the science of practical religion, a classification objected to by none. My second motive for adopting this division is that I have noticed that the interests of students in jurisprudence, which has, for the sake of boasting and exploiting its influence and prestige in arguments, become popular among those who do not fear Allah, is genuine. It is also divided into quarters, and since he who dresses as the beloved will also be beloved, I am not far wrong in deeming that the modeling of this book after books of jurisprudence will prove to be a clever move in creating interest in it. For this same reason, one of those who wanted to attract the attention of the authorities to the science of medicine, modeled it after astronomical lists, arranging it in tables and numbers, and called his book Tables of Health. He did this in order that their interest in that latter type of study might help in drawing them to read it. Ingenuity in drawing hearts to the science, which is good for spiritual life is, however, more important than that of interesting them in medicine, which benefits nothing but physical health. The fruit of this science is the treatment of the hearts and souls through, which is obtained a life that will persist of souls through, which is obtained a life that will persist forever and ever. How inferior, then is the medicine of the body, which is of necessity destined to decay before long. Therefore, we beg Allah for help to lead us to the right path and the way of truth, indeed He is the Generous, the all Bounteous. The Quarter on the Acts of Worship: The Book of Knowledge (Kitab al-Ilm) Chapter One The Value of Knowledge, Instruction, and Learning together with its evidence in Tradition and from reason The excellence of Knowledge The evidence of the excellence of knowledge in the Koran is revealed to us by Allah, the Almighty: Allah bears witness that there is no god except He, and so do the angels and the knowledgeable. He upholds justice there is no god except He, the Mighty, the Wise. (Koran 3 Verse 18) We see how Allah, the Almighty begins by bearing witness for Himself, secondly for the angels and thirdly for those who possess knowledge. In this it is clear that the knowledgeable people are emphasized as holding high rank in the sight of Allah. As Allah, the Almighty said: Allah will raise up in rank those who believed among you and who have been given knowledge(Koran 58 Verse 11) Allah, the Exalted said: Say: 'Are they equal, those who know and those who do not know?' (Koran 39 verse 9) Allah, the Exalted also said: But it is only those amongst His worshippers that fear Allah who have knowledge. (Koran 35 Verse 28) And Allah, the Exalted said: Say: Allah Suffices is a Sufficient witness between me and you, and whosoever possess knowledge of the Book. (Koran 13 Verse 43) Allah, the Exalted also said: But he who had knowledge of the Book said: I will bring it to you before your glance comes back to you. (Koran 27 Verse 40). Indicating that he was enabled by the power of knowledge. As for the evidence of the value of knowledge in tradition (al-akhbar) the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - said: If Allah wants good for a person He makes him understand the Religion, and knowledge is attained by learning. Soul Food - Knowledge: He also said, The learned persons are the heirs of the prophets. It is well known that there is no rank higher than that of prophecy, nor is there any honor higher than its inheritance. And the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - said: Whatever is in the heavens and the earth intercedes for the learned person. Who could be in a more elevated position than the one for whom the angels of the heavens and earth seek forgiveness? The Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - said: The best of all people is the learned believer who, if he is needed, will be useful; and if dispensed with will be self-sufficient. He also said: People are like mines of gold and silver, the best of them in the times of ignorance (Jahiliyah) before Islam, are the best in the times Islam, provided they see the light. And he also said: The superior rank the learned person holds over the worshiper is similar to the superiority of the moon when it is full over the other stars. As the evidence of the value of knowledge in the saying of the Companions (al-Athar), Ali, the son of Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said to Kumail O Kumail knowledge is better than wealth, you safeguard wealth but knowledge safeguards you. Knowledge is sovereign but wealth is servile, wealth is diminished by expending while knowledge is increased in its expending. Abou Al Aswad said: Nothing is more precious than knowledge, while kings are sovereign over the people, they are ruled by the learned. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said: Solomon the son of David, peace be upon them, was offered to choose between knowledge, wealth or power, and he chose knowledge, then he was blessed with wealth and power as well. Ibn Al Mubarak was asked: Who constitutes humanity? He answered: The learned. It was then said to him: And who are the kings? He answered: The ascetics. He was asked: Who are the ignoble people then? He answered: Those who in the name of religion, grow fat in the world. Ibn Al Mubarak only regarded the learned as belonging to mankind, because it is knowledge, which distinguishes man from the animals. Furthermore, man is a human being, not because of his physical prowess, for physically the camel is his superior; not because of his size because the elephant is larger; nor for his courage because the lion is more courageous than he, not because of his appetite for the ox has the greater. Al Hassan - may Allah have mercy upon him - said: The ink of the learned will be likened to the blood of the martyrs, and the former will prove superior. Salem, Abi Al Jads son said: My master bought me for 300 Dirhams and later set me free. Then I said what shall I do to support myself? So finally I took up learning and no sooner than a year had passed the Emir of Madinah called upon me, but I would not receive him. Al Zuhari - may Allah have mercy upon him - said: Knowledge is glorious and is not treasured except by the glorious. The Excellence of Learning The excellence of learning is attested to in the Koran by Allah, the Almighty: Allah, the Exalted said: rather, a party from each of section should go forth to become well versed in the religion (Koran 9 verse 122) As for the evidence of the excellence of learning the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - said: Whoever follows a path in search of knowledge, Allah will guide him into a path leading into Paradise. Prophet Muhammad - may Allah praise and venerate him - said: Truly the angels will bow low to the one who seeks knowledge in approval of what he does. As for the evidence of the excellence of learning the son of Abbas, a companion of the Prophet may Allah praise and venerate him said: I was humbled when I sought knowledge, then I was elevated when the people sought knowledge from me. He also said: I would rather spend a part of the night in learned discussion than in continual prayer. Abou El Dardaa said: To learn something is more favorable to me than to stand all night in prayer. And he also said: Be among the learned or one who learns, or one who listens, and do not be the exception or you will be lost. He said: Whoever sees that striving for knowledge is not a Jihad, his mind and opinion are lacking. The Excellence of Teaching The excellence of teaching is witnessed in the Koran, Allah, the Almighty said: and when they return to their people warn them in order that they may beware. (Koran 9 verse 122) The object is teaching and advice, Allah, the Almighty said: When Allah took a covenant with those to whom the Book was given, (saying): You shall make it clear to the people, and not conceal it. (Koran 3 Verse 187) It is an obligation to teach Allah, the High Exalted said: Call to the Path of your Lord with wisdom and fine admonition. Dispute with them in the best manner. (Koran 16 verse 125) As for the evidence of the excellence of teaching Prophet Muhammad may Allah praise and venerate him said to Moaz before he sent him to Yemen: If Allah guides one person through you, it is better for you than the world and all that is in it. The Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - said: Allah does not take away knowledge, by taking it away from the people, but He takes it away by the death of the religious learned men until none of them remain. Then people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who, when consulted, will give their verdict without knowledge. So they will go astray and will lead the people astray. The Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - said: Concerning the guidance and knowledge with, which I have been endowed, it can be compared to rain, which falls upon the land. Part of the land is good and fertile; the dry grass turns green and an abundance of fresh new grass is produced. Another part is dry but stores water and with it Allah benefits people, they drink from it and use it for cultivation. Another part is a barren plain that neither retains water, nor yet produces fresh grass. Such are the cases of those who understand the religion sent down by Allah and benefit from that with, which Allah has sent to me, studying and teaching it. Then, there are those who do not raise their heads to gain religious knowledge nor do they accept the guidance with, which I have been sent. As for the evidence of the excellence of teaching in the sayings of the companions (al-athar): Umar - may Allah be pleased with him - said: Whoever relates a saying of Prophet Muhammad and thereby induces someone to act according to it, will be rewarded and also rewarded with a reward equivalent to those who acted according to that saying. Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with him - said: All the creation seeks forgiveness for the one who teaches people good, even the whales in the sea. Ataa - may Allah be pleased with him - said: I came upon Saeed, El-Musayyabs son and found him crying, I asked him why he was crying. He answered: Because no one seeks any knowledge from me. It has also been said that the learned are the shining luminaries of all time. Each is the luminary of his time, which illuminates his generation. Chapter Two On Praiseworthy and Blameworthy Branches of Knowledge, their classifications, and the rules, which govern them The explanation of those branches of knowledge whose acquisition is deemed an individual duty (Fard ayn). The explanation of those whose acquisition is deemed collective duty (Fard kifaya). Which are the determining position of theology and jurisprudence in Islam (fiqh) in relation to the science of Religion; and, finally show the superiority of the science of the Hereafter. On knowledge whose acquisition is deemed Individual Duty (Fard Ayn) The Messenger of Allah may Allah praise and venerate him - said: Seeking knowledge is an ordinance obligatory on every Muslim, and also, Seek knowledge even if it is from China. People, however, disagree as to what branch of knowledge man is obliged to acquire, and as a result have split into approximately twenty groups. We shall not go into details but simply summarize the matter by saying that each group insisted on the necessity of acquiring that branch of knowledge, which happened to be its own specialty. The scholastic theologians insisted on scholastic theology because the Oneness of Allah, as well as His Essence and Attributes, is known through it. The jurists held out for jurisprudence because the acts of worship, the lawful and the unlawful as well as the forbidden and the permissible in daily conduct, are determined through it. Furthermore, the commentators and traditionalists, holding that through it all sciences are attained, stood for the science of the Koran and Prophetic quotations. The Sufis pointed to Sufism as the branch of knowledge, which was intended, some saying that it is the science whereby mankind, realizing his position in relation to the Divine, has a mystical experience. Other Sufis said that it comprises the knowledge of the meaning of sincerity and the afflictions of the soul, as well as being able to distinguish between the followers of Allah and the followers of satan. Others again said that it was the esoteric science whose acquisition was required only of the qualified, select few, and accordingly they dismissed the accepted meaning of the word in favor of its esoteric connotation. According to Abou Talib al-Makki, the meaning of the previously mentioned Prophetic sayings is knowledge of the contents of tradition, which embodies the foundations of Islam, referred to in the following words of the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - Islam is built upon five pillars. Since these five pillars are ordinances imposed by Allah, it is necessary to know how to fulfill them. The student therefore, should be absolutely certain that knowledge, as we have already shown in the introduction to this book, is divided into the science of practical religion and the science of revelations. The scope of this discussion is confined to the science of practical religion. The principals of practical religion, which a sane adult is obliged to observe deals with three things: beliefs, works and prohibitions. For example, when a sane individual attains puberty and comes of age, his first obligation is learning the two phrases of the witnessing of faith (al shahadah) and understanding their meaning. These two phrases are: There is no god except Allah; Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah. He/she is not required to fully penetrate their significance through scrutiny, investigation and research, but only to believe and unequivocally bear witness to them without the least doubt or hesitation. The latter is obtained by accepting on authority without any investigation or proof, since the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - required only the acceptance and witnessing from the uneducated Arabs without their learning any evidence. Thus in accepting and witnessing the two phrases, the person fulfills an obligation, which is binding at that time. Accordingly, at that time, the branch of knowledge, whose acquisition is divinely ordained and binding upon every Muslim, would consist in the learning and understanding the two phrases of the witnessing of faith and at that stage it is sufficient for them. This is demonstrated by considering that if a Muslim dies upon accepting and bearing testimony the two phrases of the witnessing of faith, he would die obedient to Allah and not be guilty of rebellion. With the rise of new developments, however, there would be other obligations, but they would not necessarily be binding on every individual. On the contrary, it would be quite possible (for some) to be free of them. The new developments that may affect obligations regarding works, prohibitions or beliefs. Regarding works, for example, if a persons life span were to extend from dawn until noon, he/she would be required to learn how to perform his/her ablutions and pray because of the approaching noon hour. In such a case it would be wrong to say that it is obvious that he should persist in his study. If he/she finds that his life will extend beyond noon) and thinks that he might not be able to finish in time, he should still persist and perform his ablutions and pray before evening, however long this may be after the appointed hour. In short he/she should give study primary consideration regardless of the time required. In addition it can be said that the obligation to acquire knowledge, which is the prerequisite for works, is derived from the obligation to perform works, in, which case it might not even be obligatory before sunset. This is also true of the other prayers. Further, should a person live until the beginning of Ramadan, he/she would be obliged to learn all about fasting, i.e., that it lasts from morning until sunset, that observing it requires resolve, abstinence from food, drink and sexual intercourse as well as either personally sighting the new moon, or accepting the word of two eye witnesses. Similarly, should a person come into some wealth, or on coming of age, inherit wealth, he should learn all about payment of the obligatory charity (zakat). For, although fulfilling the obligation is not immediately incumbent upon him, it would become so at the end of the first year after his acceptance of Islam. Should he possess nothing but camels, he would not need to learn the zakat of sheep, and the same is true of other varieties of wealth. When the months of pilgrimage begin, it is unnecessary for the person to immediately start to learn how to make the Pilgrimage, it can be learned at ones convenience. The scholars of Islam should encourage and make known the fact that the pilgrimage is a divine ordinance and is to be observed by all Muslims who have both the provisions and means of transportation and that it can be made at leisure and convenience. Once the intended pilgrim has made the intention to make the pilgrimage, it would then become necessary for him/her to learn the essential elements of how to perform the pilgrimage but not the voluntary acts connected with the pilgrimage as they are not part of the divine ordinance that are obligatory upon all Muslims. The same reasoning applies to the knowledge of the other works, which are divinely ordained and binding on all Muslims. Regarding the obligatory acquisition of knowledge of that, which is prohibited, the obligation is conditioned by the rise of new developments and changed circumstances relevant to it, and varies with the conditions of the individual. For example, the mute is not obliged to know what is unlawful in speech nor the blind to know what things are unlawful to see. Similarly, the Bedouin is not obliged to know the houses in, which it is unlawful to sit. All these obligations only apply within the limits of circumstance, and need not be learned when it is certain that the question of their applicability will not arise. But whatever situations resemble these and may, therefore, be confused with them must be distinguished from them as, for example, the case where a man who, at the time of embracing Islam, was in the habit of wearing silk garments, or possessed something illegally, or looked at a woman whom he could not legally marry. In such a case, he should be warned. On the other hand, whatever does not resemble these things and is, therefore, not confusing but to, which one may be exposed through contact such as food and drink instruction concerning it is obligatory. Hence if an individual happens to be in a town where it is customary to drink wine and eat pork, it is imperative that he be instructed of their prohibition and warned against using them. Moreover, of all things in, which instruction is obligatory, acquiring a knowledge of them is also obligatory. In respect of belief and actions of the heart, knowledge of them is obligatory according to the state of the mind. Accordingly, if one should feel any passing thought (khatir) as to the meaning of the two phrases of the testimony of faith mean, it would be obligatory to acquire the knowledge of whatever would remove that doubt. If, on the other hand, there was no such passing thought but the person died before he/she believed that the word of Allah the Koran is eternal, visible and not a substratum for originated properties, as well as other often repeated articles of faith, he/she would have died a professing Muslim. These feelings of doubt, which render the knowledge of the articles of faith obligatory arise in the mind either naturally or as a result of hearing things in ones own community. For example, in a town where rumors have spread and the people talk heresy, the individual should, in the early years of his maturity, be protected against such influence by being instructed in the elements of truth. If on the other hand, he were exposed to falsehood, it would become necessary to remove it from his heart, a task that might prove difficult. Again, if this particular Muslim were a merchant living in the midst of a town where the practice of usury was prevalent, it would be obligatory to warn him against usury. &&&& read paragraph before This, then, is the truth concerning the knowledge whose acquisition is deemed an ordinance of Allah binding on everyone and no less binding on some because of its observance by others. The gist of it all is knowledge of how to perform works whose discharge is obligatory. Whoever, therefore, knows what works are obligatory together with the time of their discharge, the same possesses the knowledge who acquisition if far ayn. Furthermore, what the Sufis hold relative to the understanding of the thoughts of the enemy and those of the company of heaven (lummat al-mulk) is also true, though only to those who apply themselves to it. If, however, man does not for the most part refrain from the impulses of evil, hypocrisy and envy, he should seek to acquire whatever knowledge he may feel he needs from the Quarter of the Destructive Matters of Life. How can he neglect this obligation when the Messenger of Allah said: Three things in life are destructive: sordid avarice, vehement passion and self conceit. And no man can refrain from these. The rest of what we shall mention of the reprehensible conditions of the heart such as pride, conceit, etc., all follow from these three aforementioned destructive matters of life. Their eradication is a fard ayn. It is, however, not possible except through a knowledge of the nature of these destructive matters of life, as well as their causes, symptoms and cure; as the one who does not know evil falls into it. A cure is, in reality, confronting a cause with its opposite. How could such a thing be possible without a knowledge of both cause and effect? Most of the things we have mentioned in the Quarter on the Destructive Matters of Life belong to the fard ayn class, which have been totally neglected by the people in favor of pursuing things, which do not matter. Among these things about, which (we) should proceed to inform the individual, in case they have not yet been transmitted from one people to another, are belief in Paradise, Hell, the Day of Resurrection, and the Day of Judgment in order that he/she may believe and accept them, as they are the continuation of the words of the confession of faith. This is required because after the acceptance of Muhammads Prophethood, the Message, which he conveyed, namely, that whoever should obey Allah and His Messenger would enter Paradise, and whoever should disobey them would enter Hell fire, should be understood. If, therefore, you would pay attention to this reasoning you would know that this is the true way of life. You would also find out that every worshiper suffers, in the course of his life, both during the day and the night, from enduring thoughts (waqai) of doubt, which befall him in the performance of his acts of worship and daily transactions. These thoughts require new obligations and consequently it becomes necessary for him to inquire concerning every unusual occurrence, which may happen to him as well as to proceed to learn what may be generally expected to occur in the near future. Finally, if it should become clear that what the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - meant by his words: Seeking knowledge is an ordinance obligatory upon every Muslim, is knowledge with the definite article, namely, the knowledge of only those works, which are well known to be obligatory on every Muslim, the line of this reasoning would become apparent as would also the time in, which these obligations should be discharged. Allah, however, knows best. On Knowledge whose acquisition is deemed Fard kifayah (Collective Duty) It should be known that a necessary duty is not distinguished from other duties, except when the different sciences are enumerated. These are divided in relation to the kind of duties we are now considering, into the science of jurisprudence and secular (ghayr shariyah) sciences. By the science of jurisprudence I mean those that have been acquired from the prophets and are not arrived at either by reason, like arithmetic, or by experimentation, like medicine or by hearing, like language. Secular sciences are divided into praiseworthy (mahmud), blameworthy (madhmum), and permissible (mubah). Praiseworthy sciences are those on whose knowledge the activities of this life depend such as medicine arithmetic. They are divided into sciences, which are a collective duty and into sciences, which are meritorious though not obligatory. Sciences whose knowledge is deemed collective duty comprise every science, which is indispensable for the welfare of the world such as: medicine, which is necessary for the life of the body, arithmetic for daily transactions and the division of legacies and in inheritances, as well as others besides. These are the sciences, which, through of their absence, a community would be reduced to narrow straits. But should one who can practice them rise in that community, it would suffice, and the obligation to acquire their knowledge would cease to be binding upon the rest of the community. No one should be astonished when we say that medicine as well as arithmetic are of the sciences, which are a collective duty, because the fundamental industries are also the same, such as agriculture, weaving, politics, even tailoring. Has He Who sent down the sickness not also sent down the remedy, given guidance for its use, and prepared the means for administering it? It is not, therefore, permissible to expose oneself to destruction by neglecting the remedy. To go deep into the details of arithmetic and the nature of medicine as well as such details, which, while not indispensable, are helpful in reinforcing the efficacy of whatever is necessary, is however, considered meritorious, not obligatory. The blameworthy (madhmum) sciences are magic, talismanic science, juggling, trickery and the like. The sciences of jurisprudence, which are intended in the study are all praiseworthy. Sometimes, however, they may be confused with what may be taken for praiseworthy but, in fact, are blameworthy. For this reason jurisprudence is divided into praiseworthy and blameworthy sciences. The praiseworthy sciences comprise sources (usul), branches (furu), auxiliary (muqaddimat), and supplementary (mutammimat). There are therefore, four kinds. First come the sources (usul), which are four in number. The Book of Allah (The Koran), the usage (sunnah) of His Prophet, The Agreement (ijma) of all Muslims, and The Traditions relating to the Companions (athar al sahabah). Agreement, in so far as it evinces usage, is a source. Like traditions relating to the Companions, however, which also evince usage, agreement is a secondary source. This is because the Companions have witnessed the Revelations and have, through their close association with the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - , comprehended what others have failed to see. Since, however, it is possible that words will not fully express what has been so comprehended, the learned men have deemed it fit to follow the example of the Companions and hold fast to their traditions though on certain condition and in a special manner as the one concerned may see. It is, however, not appropriate to discuss it in this chapter. Second are the branches. They are what has been drawn from the sources, not according to the literal meaning but through meanings, which are adduced by the mind thereby widening the understanding until a meaning differing from the literal is indicated, as is, for example, indicated by the words of the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - : The judge should not sit in judgment while angry, namely, that he should not sit in judgment while constipated or hungry or suffering from a painful disease. This last thing may be of two kinds: the first pertains to the activities of this world and is contained in the books of law and entrusted to the lawyers, the learned men of this world: the second pertains to the activities of the Hereafter. It is the science of the conditions of the heart, its praiseworthy and blameworthy characteristics, what is acceptable before Allah and what is reprehensible to Him. All these are treated in the last part of this book, i.e., the whole book of The Revival of the Sciences of Religion. It includes the knowledge of what issues from the heart and affects the senses in their acts of worship and usages of life, all of, which are treated in the first part of this book. Third are the auxiliary (muqaddimat). These act as the instrument for the sciences of jurisprudence. Thus linguistic science and syntax are but instruments for the knowledge of the Book of Allah and the usage (sunnah) of His Prophet. In themselves linguistic science and syntax are not jurisprudence sciences, but it has become necessary to engage in their study because of the law since this law has come in the language of Arabs. And whereas every law is revealed through the medium of a particular language, the learning of that language becomes an instrument wherewith to learn the law. Among these instruments, also, is the science of writing. It is however, not a necessary instrument because the Messenger of Allah was himself unlettered (ummi). And if it were conceivable that retention of everything that is heard was at all possible, mankind might have dispensed with writing. But, because of the impossibility of such a thing, it has become, on the whole, necessary. Fourth are the supplementary (mutammimat), which, in relation to the science of the Koran, are divided into what pertains to pronunciation such as learning the different readings and the enunciation of the different letters, and into what pertains to exposition, which also rests on authoritative transmission. This is because language alone cannot treat exposition or its technicalities such as the knowledge of the abrogating (nasikh) and the abrogated (mansukh), the general (amm) and the particular (khass), the express laws of the Koran as well as its manifest meaning, and finally the manner of their application, i.e. the science, which is called the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), which also includes the sunnah. In connection with tradition and history, the supplementary sciences are biography, dealing mainly with the lives of illustrious men and of the Companions, knowledge of the trustworthy transmitters of traditions and their peculiarities, in order to distinguish between weak (daif) and strong (qawi) traditions, and of their ages in order to differentiate between those traditions whose chain of authorities is incomplete or lacking (mursal) and those whose chain of authorities is incomplete goes back to the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - (musnad), as well as knowledge of whatever is connected with it. These then are the sciences of jurisprudence. Not only are they all praiseworthy, but they also belong to the category of the collective duty. But should one inquire saying: Why have you appended jurisprudence to secular sciences and grouped jurists among secular scholars? Let me tell you that Allah made Adam from earth and his offspring from clay and running water. He brought them out from loins to the womb, then to life, and finally to the grave; from the grave He raised them to judgment and from there to Paradise or to Hell Fire. Such was, therefore, their beginning, such their end, and such their abodes. Furthermore, Allah created this world in preparation for the Hereafter in order to gather suitable provisions therefrom. If these provisions were gathered justly, dissensions would have ceased and the jurists would have become idle, but since men have with greed gathered their provisions, dissensions ensued and consequently the need for a magistrate to rule them arose. In turn the magistrate felt the need for a canon with, which to govern the people. It is the jurist, though, who has the knowledge of the rules of government and the methods of mediation between the people whenever, because of their greed, they contend. He thus becomes the teacher of the magistrates and their guide in government and control, that through their righteousness the affairs of men in this world may be set in order. Upon my life I declare that jurisprudence is also connected with religion, not directly but indirectly through the affairs of this world, because this world is the preparation for the Hereafter, and there is no religion without it. Furthermore, the state and religion are twins. Religion is the foundation while the state is the guard. That, which has no foundation will certainly crumble and that, which has no guard is lost. Without the magistrates there is neither government nor control, and the correct way to settle dissensions is through law. And as government by magistrates does not belong primarily to the science of religion but is an adjunt to that without, which there is not religion, so is the knowledge of the manner of government. Thus it is well known that it is not possible to carry out the pilgrimage without the protection of an escort of Bedouins along the route. But the pilgrimage itself is one thing, setting out on the road to pilgrimage is another, policing the route without, which it is not possible to perform the pilgrimage is still another, and knowledge of the manner of policing the route with all its rules and regulations is again another. The result of jurisprudence is knowledge of the methods of government and control. This is attested by a Tradition whose chain of authorities goes back to the Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - , namely: People will not be judged except by three: a governor, a deputy and an intruder. The governor is the Imam (the Imams have always been the judges); the deputy is his lieutenant, while anyone else is an intruder who undertakes that responsibility without there being any need for him to do so. As a matter of fact it was the custom of the Companions to avoid giving legal opinions to the extent that each was in the habit of referring (the question) to his colleague, although they did not avoid answering questions relative to the science of the Koran and the Path to the Hereafter. In some recensions (the word) hypocrite (appears) instead of the word intruder, (and rightly so) because anyone who, without any special need, undertakes the responsibility of giving legal opinions does so for the sake of acquiring position and wealth. If you agree to this, the same will hold true in connection with the rules of invalidating testimonies, restrictive ordinances, indemnities and settling feuds; but it will not hold true in respect to what falls under the Quarter of the Acts of Worship such as fasting and prayer, nor in respect to what the Customs of Life entail of civil and legal matters such as determining the lawful and the unlawful. You should, therefore, know that what the jurist comes nearest discussing under works, which pertain to the Hereafter are four: Islam, prayer, almsgiving, (doing) what is lawful and abstaining (from) what is unlawful. But when you examine how far the jurists speculation goes into these four you will find that it does not go beyond the limits of this world into the next. If then you realize this limitation in respect to these four it becomes to you more evident in others besides. Concerning Islam the jurist discourses on what renders it sound or unsound as well as on its conditions, but only pays attention to outward confession. The heart, however, is removed from his domain because the Messenger set apart from the jurist those who wield the sword and those in whose hand the reins of temporal power lie. This the Messenger did when he said to the man who had killed another because the latter had recited the confession of faith giving for a reason his fear of the sword, Have you examined his heart? The jurist also determines with the aid of the sword the soundness of (ones) Islam, although he knows that the sword can neither reveal to him the intentions (of the individual) nor remove from his heart the veil of ignorance and bewilderment. He is, however, a counselor to him who wields the sword. Since the sword can reach the (individuals) neck, and the hand his possessions, repeating the confession of faith with the tongue protects his life and possessions as long as he has either in this world. For this reason the Prophet said; I was ordered to fight people until they say, There is no god except Allah. When they say this they render their lives and possessions immune against my hand. He thus confined the efficacy (of verbal confession) to life and possessions; but in the Hereafter mere words do not avail only the illumination of the hearts (by the divine light), their secret thoughts, and their sincerity do avail. These, however, do not fall within the field of jurisprudence, although the jurist may delve into them as he might also delve into theology and medicine, both of, which are outside his field. Concerning prayer, the jurist is entitled to give his opinion as to whether or not it has been correctly performed in accordance with the prescribed regulations, regardless of the fact that (the worship), from the beginning to the end, might not have paid attention to any part of his prayer except the magnificent (takbir), but has instead busied himself in going over his market transactions. Such a prayer is of no use for the Hereafter just as verbal confession of Islam is also of no use. Nevertheless, the jurist does not pass judgment regarding its soundness, namely, whether or not the worshiper has, in what he has performed, fulfilled the requirements of the law and has thereby rendered himself immune to punishment. To (the subject of) submitting and presenting the heart to Allah, however, both of, which are works pertaining to the Hereafter and through, which works are rendered efficacious, the jurist does not address himself; and in case he does, he oversteps his bounds. Concerning almsgiving, the jurist examines what satisfies the demand of the magistrate so that, in the event that the payment of the alms is withheld and, consequently, the magistrate exacts it by force, the jurist then rules that the responsibility of the magistrate has been fulfilled. It is related that Abou Yusef, the judge, was in the habit of giving away all his income to his wife at the end of each year and in turn making her give away hers to him in order to avoid the payment of alms. On being informed of it, Abou Hanifah declared that this was the result of Abou Yusefs (versatility in) jurisprudence; and Abou Hanifah was right because such a thing is the result of worldly wisdom. Nevertheless, its harm in the Hereafter outweighs every benefit (it may yield in this world). Moreover, such knowledge is harmful. Concerning the lawful and the unlawful, abstinence from the latter is a part of religion. Piety, moreover, has four grades. The first is that piety, which is required for just testimony and the relinquishing of that, which disqualifies man to bear witness before a court, or to be a judge or to act as governor. It consists, in other words, in avoiding all that is clearly unlawful. The second is the piety of honest men, which guards against dubiosities , which engender ambiguous and misleading interpretations. Thus the Prophet said: Discard that, which is dubious for that, which is indubious. He also said: Sin is heart alluring. The third is the piety of the cautious, which entails desisting from perfectly lawful deeds for fear that may lead to deeds, which are unlawful. In this connection the Prophet said: No man will be numbered among the cautious unless he is inclined to avoid what is harmless for fear of what is harmful. Of such is the reluctance to discuss the affairs of people lest one be drawn into backbiting, and the abstinence from eating and drinking of things, which when the appetite lest that should stimulate passion and lust, which lead a man to commit that, which is forbidden. The fourth is the piety of the saints, which shuns all things but Allah for fear of expending one single hour of life in things, which, although it is clear and certain that they lead to nothing unlawful, do not help to bring the individual nearer to Allah. All these grades (of piety), except the first, namely the piety of witnesses and judges as well as what militates against justice, are outside the domain of the jurist. Furthermore, to comply with the requirements of this first grade of piety does not preclude sin being punished in the Hereafter. The Prophet said to Wabisah: Consult your own heart although you have been given a dispensation once, twice or thrice. The jurist does not, and should not, express an opinion regarding the things, which allure and perplex the heart, or how to deal with them, but confines his opinion to those things, which militate against justice. Hence the entire scope of the jurists domain is limited to the affairs of this world, which pave the road to the Hereafter. Should he then tough upon the attributes of the heart and the rules of the Hereafter, he does so as an intruder just as he would be whenever anything relative to medicine, arithmetic, astronomy and theology confront him. The same is true of philosophy in relation to syntax or poetry. Sufyan al-Thawri, an authority in esoteric knowledge, used to say that the study of this (science) is not among the provisions for the Hereafter. How could it be when it is agreed that the value of knowledge is acting according to its precepts? Is it possible, therefore, to hold as provisions for the Hereafter the knowledge of the forms that divorce might take, either zihar or by lian, of contracts involving immediate payment of the price and admitting delay in the delivery of the article purchased (salam) of hire, rental, and lease (ijarah), and of money changing (sarf)? Anyone who acquires the knowledge of these things, hoping to draw nearer to Allah, would certainly be mad. Indeed, nothing but engaging body and soul in the service of Allah and His worship would draw people nearer to Allah; and nobility lies in knowing how to accomplish these deeds. If you should say; Why have you regarded medicine and jurisprudence in the same way when medicine pertains to the affairs of this world, namely, the welfare of the body, while upon jurisprudence in the same way when medicine pertains to the affairs of this world, namely, the welfare of the body, while upon jurisprudence depends the welfare of religion; and furthermore does not this equal regard of the two violate the public consensus of opinion among all Muslims? Then know that such a treatment is not necessary and in fact the two sciences differ. Jurisprudence is superior to medicine on three counts: first, because it is sacred knowledge, and, unlike medicine, which is not sacred knowledge, jurisprudence is derived from prophecy; second, it is superior to medicine because no one of those who are treading the road to the Hereafter can do without it, neither the healthy nor the sick; while on the other hand only the sick, who are a minority, need medicine; thirdly, because jurisprudence is akin to the science of the road of the Hereafter, being a study of the works or the senses. The origin of these works as well as their source lies in the attributes of the heart. Thus praiseworthy works are the result of praiseworthy characters (endowed with) saving (grace) in the Hereafter; similarly, the blameworthy works are the result of blameworthy characters. The connection between the senses and the heart is thus clear. Health and disease, however, result from certain qualities in the humours characteristic of the body, not of the heart. No matter how often jurisprudence is compared with medicine, the superiority of the former is evident. Similarly, whenever the science of the road to the Hereafter is compared with jurisprudence, the superiority of the former is evident. If you should say: Explain to me the science of the road to the Hereafter in such a manner as will bring out its outline if the enquiry into its details is not possible, know, then, that it is divided into two parts: the science of revelation and the science of practical religion. The first part, namely the science of revelation is the science of esoterics, which is the goal of all sciences. One of the Gnostics said: I fear that whoever should lack a portion of that science would come to an evil end. The least portion of the science of revelation is believing in it and placing it in the hands of those worthy of it. Another said: Whoever has these two characteristics, heresy and pride, will never be blessed with any of this science. It was also said: Whoever (loves Allah succeeds, but) whoever loves this world and persists in his desires will not attain the science of revelation, though he might attain the other sciences. The least punishment, which the person who denies revelations will suffer is that he will not be blessed with any of its gifts. &&&& stopped here searching for Soul Food I have not updated the text Furthermore, the science of revelation is the science concerned with the saints and the favorites of Allah. It stands for a light, which shines in the heart when it is cleansed and purified of its blameworthy qualities. Through this light is revealed the truth of several things, whose names have hitherto often been heard, and to, which ambiguous and obscure meanings have been attached. Through it, these truths are clarified until the true knowledge of the essence of Allah is attained together with that of His eternal and perfect attributes, His works and wisdom in the creation of this world and the Hereafter as well as the reason for His exalting the latter over the former. Through it also is obtained the knowledge fo the meaning of prophecy and prophet and the import of revelation. Through it is obtained the knowledge of the meaning of prophecy and prophet and the import of revelation. Through it is obtained the truth about Satan, the meaning of the words angels and devils, and the cause of the enmity between Satan and man. Through it is known how the Angel appeared to the prophets and how they received the divine revelation. Through it is achieved the knowledge of the kingdom of heaven and earth, as well as the knowledge of the heart and how the angelic hosts have confronted the devils. Through it is gained the knowledge of how to distinguish between the company of heaven and the company of the Devil, a knowledge of the Hereafter, Paradise, and Hell Fire, the punishment of the grave, the bridge (al sirat) across the infernal Fire, the Balance of the Judgment Day, and knowledge of the Day of Reckoning. Through it also is comprehended the meaning of the following words of Allah: Read your book. Your self suffices you this Day as a reckoner against you. Koran 17 verse 15 and: Indeed, the Everlasting Residence is the Eternal life Koran 29 verse 64. Through this same light is revealed the meanings of meeting Allah and seeing His gracious face; the meaning of being close to Him and of occupying a place in His gracious face; the meaning of being close to Him and of occupying a place in His proximity; the meaning of attaining happiness through communion with the heavenly hosts and association with the angels and the prophets. Through it also the distinction between the ranks of the people in the different heavens is determined until they see one another in the same way as the Planet Venus is seen in the midst of the heavens. Many other things, which would require a great deal of time to explain because people, once they accept they accept them in principle, take different stands with regard to their significations, are also determined through this light. Thus, some would regard all these as mere examples holding that the eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man that, which Allah has prepared for His righteous servants, and that man knows nothing of Paradise except its attributes and names; others hold that some are mere patterns and some are identical with the realities, which their names signify. Likewise others hold that the limit to, which our knowledge of Allah can reach is to admit the inability to know Him. There are some also who claim great things on (the subject) of knowing Allah while others say that we cannot go beyond what all the common people have reached, namely, that Allah is, that He is omniscient and omnipotent, that He sees and hears, and that He speaks. We, therefore, mean by the science of revelation (that science whereby) the cover is removed so that the truth regarding these things becomes as clear as if it were seen by the eye, leaving thereby no room for any doubt. Man would, by himself, be capable of such a thing had not the rust and rot resulting from the filth of this world accumulated over the surface of the mirror of his heart. By the science of the road of the Hereafter we mean the knowledge of how to remove from the surface of this mirror that filth, which bars the knowing of Allah, His attributes, and His works. The mirror is cleansed and purified by desisting from lust and emulating the prophets in all their states. Thus to whatever extent the heart is cleansed and made to face the truth, to that same extent will reflect His reality. But there is no way to this except through discipline (which will be discussed in its proper places), learning, and instruction. These sciences are not recorded in books and are not discussed by him whom Allah has blessed with any of them except among his own circle of intimates who partake with him of them through discourses and secret communication. This last method is nothing but the occult science, which the Prophet had in mind when he said: Indeed of knowledge is a branch that resembles a hidden thing: no one grasps it except those who know Allah: whenever they declare it no one fails to recognize it except those who do not know Allah. Despise not, therefore, a learned man whom Allah has blessed with this knowledge because Allah Himself does not despise that man once He has imparted to him that knowledge. The second part, namely, the science of practical religion, is the science of the states of the heart, of, which the praiseworthy are fortitude, gratitude, fear, hope, resignation, devotion, piety, contentment, generosity, recognition of ones obligation to Allah under all circumstances, charity, good faith, morality, fellowship, truthfulness and sincerity. To know the truth concerning these states as well as their definitions and the means whereby they are attained, together with their fruits and signs, and tending whatever state has been weakened until it becomes strong again and whatever has disappeared until it reappears, belongs to the science of the Hereafter. On the other hand, the blameworthy, such as the fear of poverty, discontent with ones lot, bitterness, such, rancour, envy, deceit, ambition, the desire to be praised, the passion to live long in this life for the sake of indulgence, pride, hypocrisy, anger, scorn, enmity, hatred, greed, niggardliness, lust, extravagance, frivolity, insolence, exalting the rich and despising the poor, haughtiness, vanity, vaunting, boasting, holding oneself above truth, meddling in things not of ones concern, loquacity, obstinacy, currying favor, adulation, conceit, being occupied with other peoples shortcomings, the vanishing of grief from the heart and the departure of fear of Allah from it, extreme self pity whenever in affliction, lukewarm support for truth, outwardly professing friendship and secretly fostering enmity, taking advantage of the patience of Allah and long suffering and persisting in taking away (from people) what Allah has given them, trusting only in obedience, trickery, dishonesty and fraud, (vain) optimism, cruelty, rudeness, satisfaction in worldly pleasures and dejection at their loss, delight in the company of people and loneliness when they depart, harshness, levity, haste, lack of shame and lack of mercy these and many similar qualities of the heart are the seed beds of immoralities and the nursery gardens of turpitudes. The opposite of these, namely the praiseworthy traits, are the fountainhead of all good works. To know the definitions of these traits, the truth concerning each, the means whereby they are attained as well as their fruits and cures comprises the sciences of the Hereafter whose acquistion, according to the legal opinion of the learned men of that science is fard ayn. Whoever should turn away from this knowledge, would, in the Hereafter, be destroyed by the wrath of the King of Kings, just as he who fail to perform the civil duties would, according to the legal opinion of the jurists of this world, be cut down by the sword of the temporal rulers of this world. The judgment of the jurists concerning obligatory ordinances (furud ayn) relates to the welfare of the life in this world, while the judgment of the learned men of the science of the Hereafter relates to the welfare of life in the Hereafter. Thus if a jurist were asked concerning the meaning of any of these terms, as for example: sincerity, or dependence, or precaution against hypocrisy, he would hesitate to express an opinion although every one of these is an obligatory ordinance in whose neglect lies his own destruction in the Hereafter. But should you inquire from him concerning the lian form of divorce or the zihar form, or concerning wager (sabaq) and target shooting he would recite to you volumes of minute details, which would never be used or needed; and in the event a need might arise for some of them the community would not lack for someone who could render this service and spare the jurist the trouble and labour of his studies. He thus persists labouring day and night on these details tying to memorise and learn them, but the things, which are of real importance in religion, he overlooks. Should he, then, be questioned about it, he would say that he had pursued it because it was the science of religion and also a collective duty, confusing thereby, himself and others by these excuses. The intelligent person knows that if, in performing the collective duty, the aim of the jurist has been to do the right thing, he should have given precedence to the fard ayn and to several others of the collective duty. How many a town has no physician except from among the followers of protected religions (dhimmah) whose testimony, according to the laws of jurisprudence, especially in controversy and polemics. Furthermore, the town is crowded with jurists employed in giving legal opinions and defending cases. Would that I knew why the learned men of religion permit work in activities, which are collective duty and, which have been performed by quite a number of people to the neglect of other collective duty activities, which have not yet been performed. Could there be any reason for this except that medicine does not lead to management of religious endowments (awqaf), (execution of) wills, possession of the money of orphans, and appointment to judicial and governmental positions through, which one exalts himself above his fellow men and fastens his yoke upon his enemies? Indeed the science of religion has been destroyed because the learned men have espoused evil. Allah is, therefore, our help and refuge. May Allah protect us refuge. May Allah protect us from this delusion, displeasing to Him and pleasing to the Devil. The pious among the learned men in esoteric knowledge used to acknowledge the excellence of the learned men in esoteric knowledge (ilm al-batin) and the advocates of the inward knowledge of the heart. The Imam Al ShafiI was in the habit of sitting before Shayban al RaI just as a boy would sit in the school, and would ask concerning one thing or another, to, which Shayban would reply: Would one like you ask the advice of this Bedouin? Al ShafiI would say; This agrees with what we already know. Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Main used to call upon Maruf al Kharkhi who, in esoteric knowledge (ilm al-zahir) was not their equal; nevertheless, they used to seek his advice. Andy why should they not have done so? Had not the Prophet, when he was asked: What shall we do when we are confronted by something, which we cannot find in either the Koran or in the Tradition? said: Ask the honest men among you and guide your affairs by consultation. For that reason it has been said that the learned men of esoteric knowledge are the ornament of the earth and the state, while the learned men of esoteric knowledge are the ornament of heaven and its kingdom. Al Judayd said: Once upon a time my teacher al Sari asked me saying: When you leave my place whose company do you keep? I said: Al muhasibis. To, which he replied: Well have you chosen! Follow his learning and culture, but avoid his affectation in speech and his refutation of the theologians. Upon leaving I overheard him say: May Allah make you first a traditionist and then a Sufi rather than a Sufi first and then a traditionist. This is a reference to the fact that he who first acquires versatility in tradition and learning and then turns to Sufism comes off well, he who takes to Sufism before learning exposes himself to danger. Should you say: Why did you in your classification of the sciences make no mention of theology and philosophy and not show whether they are blameworthy or praiseworthy? The know all that theology offers in the way of useful evidence is contained in the Koran and Sunnah (traditions). Whatever evidence is not contained therein is either reprehensible argumentation (which, as will be seen, is an innovation), or mere wrangling by dwelling on distinctions or amplification through the array of different opinions, most of, which are drivel and nonsense, despised by the mind and rejected by the ears, while others are rumbling into things unrelated to Religion and not customary during the first period of Islam. To enter into such discussions at all was then regarded heresy, but things have now changed. Innovations, which turn people from the dictates of the Koran and the tradition have arisen and a group has emerged who made imitations of the Book and the Hadith and based upon it false speculation, so that certain dangerous things have necessarily become permissible; they have even become as binding as the collective duty. To such an extent would an innovator go whenever he purposes to preach a heresy. We shall discuss this briefly in the following chapter. As to philosophy, it is not in itself a single branch of science but comprises four: The first: This includes geometry and arithmetic, both of, which are, as has already been said, permissible and no one is barred from them except the person who might be eld by their study to blameworthy sciences, for most of those who practice them have stepped over to innovations. Thus the weak are barred from the study of geometry and arithmetic just as the boy is barred from the bank of the river lest he should fall into the water, and as the newly converted Muslim is kept away from company of unbelievers for fear he might be influenced by them. In this last case not even the strong is called upon to mix with the unbelievers. The second: This is logic, which is the study of the nature of evidence and its conditions as well as the nature of a definition and its conditions. Both of these are included under theology. The third: This is divinity, which is the science of the begin and attributes of Allah. This is also included under theology. Furthermore, the philosophers have not, in their philosophy, developed another type of science, but have branched out into several schools, of, which some are systems of unbelief and others of innovation. Thus just as the Mutazilite system does not in itself represent a branch of science, but its protagonists, as a group of theologians and specialists in the art of philosophical disputation, have been distinguished by their erroneous views, so are the philosophers. The fourth: This is physics of, which some parts contradict the law and the true Religion, and are therefore folly. These are not science that they may be classified under sciences. Others are a study of the qualities of the different substances, their properties, transmutation and change. This part resembles the researches of physicians, except the physician studies the human body, particularly the cause of its diseases and cure, while the physicists study all substances from the standpoint of change and motion. Medicine however, is superior to physics because the former is needed while the latter is no need. The Virtues of the Scholars of Islamic Jurisprudence The Jurists who are the spokesmen of the science of jurisprudence and the leaders of men, namely, those whose school claims the greatest following, are five: Al ShafiI, Malik, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abou Hanifah and Sufyan Al Thawri, (may Allah have mercy upon them) each one of them was a worshiper of Allah, an ascetic, a learned man versed in the science of the Hereafter, a jurist well informed in the affairs of men in this world, and a devotee to the knowledge of the Face of Allah. Tha Al Imam Al ShafiI - may Allah have mercy upon him - was a devout worshiper of Allah is shown by what has been related concerning him, namely that he divided the night into three parts: one part for study, one part for prayer and one part for sleeping. Al Rabia said: Al ShafiI used to complete reading the Koran in Ramadan 60 times while standing to pray. With regard to his asceticism, Al ShafiI said, Whoever should claim that he has in his heart the love of this world as well as the love of his Creator, the same has lied. Al-Humaydi related that one day Al ShafiI set out for al-Yaman in the company of some of the governors. With 10,000 Dirhams he made his way to Makkah where a tent was pitched for him just outside the city and the people came out to see him. He did not leave until he had distributed all among his visitors. Furthermore the strength of Al Shafiis ascetism, the intensity of his fear of Allah, and the concentration of his efforts on the Hereafter are manifest from a report that when Sufyan ibn Ouyena narrated a Hadith about mystical sciences (al-raqaiq) in his presence he fell unconscious and those present thought that he had died. Sufyan thereupon said if he should die, the most excellent man of the age would have passed away. That Al ShafiI was familiar with the secrets of the hearts and learned in the sciences of the Hereafter would be made known to you through the wise sayings ascribed to him. It has been reported that once he was asked about hypocrisy, he responded intuitively: Hypocrisy is a golden apple, which passion has placed before the eyes of the learned who, through the poor judgment of their impulsive hearts, cast covetous eyes upon it, and thereby their works were frustrated. Al ShafiI - may Allah have mercy upon him - said: If you fear the people praising your goods deeds, then seek the pleasure of Allah and the reward you desire, the punishment you fear and the strength you would be grateful for, and the trial you would remember, so when you think about any one of these you would see how small your deeds really are. That through jurisprudence in particular, and debates centering around the same subject in general, Al ShafiI had sought nothing but the face of Allah is revealed by the following, which it has been reported that he said: I had hoped that men would benefit by this science and that none of the benefits would be attributed to me. It can be seen how he realized what a curse it was to seek knowledge in order to obtain prestige and how he had been completely above such considerations. As to Al Imam Malik - may Allah be pleased with him - he was too adorned with those five characteristics. It is reported that he was once asked, O Malik, what do you say of seeking knowledge? He replied: It is fair and beautiful, but find what you need from the time you open your eyes in the morning to the time you close them in the evening and confine yourself to it. He was so emphatic in exalting the science of religion that whenever he sat down to discourse on tradition, he would first perform his ablutions, sit on his bed, comb his hair, perfume himself, settle down with stateliness and dignity, and then proceed with the discourse. When asked about it, he answered: I like to exalt the traditions of the Messenger of Allah. With regard to his asceticism, it is attested by the report that al Mahdi the prince of the believers, had once asked Malik saying: Have you any home of your own? Malik replied: No! But listen and I shall relate to you. I heard Rabiah ibn abi Abd al Rahman say, Mans home is his ancestry. At another time al Rashid asked him the same question and on his answering, No. The Caliph gave him three thousand Dinars and said: Go buy with this a home. Malik took the money but did not spend it. When later al Rashid was preparing to return to Baghdad he said to Malik: You should come along with us because we have decided to make the people follow the Muwatta (Maliks tradition) as Uthman made the people follow the Koran. Malik replied: There is no way to make the people follow the Muwatta because of the death of the Messenger of Allah, his Companions were dispersed around the different countries and in each place they related the traditions, (which they knew) and consequently among the people of each individual country different Hadiths prevail. Furthermore the Prophet said: Non-conformity among my people is a gift of mercy. It is also not possible to go along with you because the Messenger of Allah said: If they would only understand they would know that Al Madinah is best for them. And again Al Madinah does away with its corruption just as the furnace does away with the dross of the iron. Therefore here are your Dinars just as you have given them to me; you may take them and if you wish you may leave them. Does this mean that you require me to leave Al Madinah in return for what you have given me? Know that I prefer nothing to the City of the Messenger of Allah, not even the whole world. That through his knowledge he sought the face of Allah and that he despised this world are attested by the following report. He said: Once upon a time as I entered upon Harun al Rashid, the Caliph told me, O Abou Abd Allah! You should frequent our place so that our sons may learn from you the Muwatta. To, which I replied: May Allah exalt my lord the prince! You my lord are the source of this knowledge. If you honor it, it will be exalted, and if you dishonor it, it will be despised. Furthermore, knowledge is something youachieve, not something you receive. Thereupon Harun al Rashid said, You are right. And turning to his son added, Go out to the mosque and join the audience with the people. As to About Hanifah, he too was a worshiper of Allah and an ascetic who knew Allah, had His fear in his heart and sought through his knowledge the Face of Allah. That he was a worshiper of Allah is evidenced by a report transmitted on the authority of Ibn al Mubarak who said that two things were characteristic of Abou Hanifah, manliness and much prayer. Hammad ibn abi Sulayman reported that he was in the habit of spending the whole night in prayer. According to another report it was his custom to spend half the night in prayer until one day, as he was walking through a street, a certain person pointed to him and said to a companion, This is he who spend the whole of the night in prayer. From that day on, he spent the whole night in prayer and said: I will be ashamed before Allah to be described with something I do not possess in connection with my worship of Him. As to his ascetism, it has been reported that al Rabi ibn Asim once said, I was sent by Yazid ibn Umar ibn Hubayrah to summon Abou Hanifah before him. On his appearing, Yazid offered him the position of governor of the treasury, but Abou Hanifah declined the offer and consequently Yazid had him scourged with twenty lashes. It can be seen how he had run away from the office of governor of the treasury and bore the torture instead. Al Hakam ibn Hisham al Thaqafi said that he had once, while in Damascus, related a tradition to the effect that Abou Hanifah was one of the most honest men and that the governor had wanted him to take charge of the keys of the treasury or be scourged if he refused, but Abou Hanifah would have nothing of that, preferring torture at the hands of the governor to torture at the hands of Allah. It was also reported on the authority of Muhammad ibn Shuja, on the authority of one of his companions, that Abou Hanifah was once told: The prince of the believers, Abou Jafar al Mansur, has ordered that the sum of ten thousand Dirhams be paid to you. Abou Hanifah, however, would not consent to it and on the day on, which the sum was expected to be delivered, he performed the morning prayer, wrapped himself with his cloak and sat in silence. Presently the messenger of Al Hasan ibn Qahtabah arrived with the money and appeared before Abou Hanifah, but the latter would not speak to him. Then some of those present explained to Al Hasan that it was Abou Hanifahs custom to act like that. Thereupon Al Hasan ordered that the bag containing the money be placed in one of the corners of the house, and left. Abou Hanifah then willed the contents of his house and told his son that, upon his death, his son should take the bag, which contained the money to Al Hasan ibn Qatabah and tell him to take back his money, which he had deposited with Abou Hanifah. When his son delivered the money to Al Hasan, the latter exclaimed: May the mercy of Allah be upon your father, indeed he has been zealous over his religion. It was also related that Abou Hanifah had also been invited to fill the position of chief judge but he declined saying: I am not qualified for this post. Asked why he thought so, he replied, If I were to be honest (about it I would know and say that) I am not qualified for the job; if on the other hand I were to lie, I might say I was qualified; but a liar is not fit for the judgeship. Abou Hanifahs knowledge of the things of the Hereafter and his concern with the weighty matters of religion as well as knowing Allah are attested to by his deep fear of Allah and by his ascetism. In this connection Ibn Jurayj had said: It was reported to me that this Kufian friend of yours, Al Numan ibn Thabit, fears Allah very much. Sharik al Nakhaj had said that Abou Hanifah spent long spells in silence and contemplation and conversed little with men. These are among the clearest signs of inward knowledge and the concern with the weighty matters of religion, because whoever has been blessed with silence and ascetism would receive all knowledge as well. The virtues of Abou Hanifah are, however, too many to be numbered. Had he not been characterized by perseverance in self mortification, and had he not dipped into the sea of contemplation? Had he not throughout a period of forty years performed his morning prayer (having spent all night in continual prayer) on the basis of the evening ablutions?Had he not, also, performed the pilgrimage fifty five times? This is but a small part of the lives of these three Imams. As to Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Sufyan al Thawri, their followers are not as many as those of the three other Imams, and of the two, the followers of Sufyan are the less numerous. Nevertheles, of the five, Ahmad and Sufyan were the best known for piety and ascetism. Since this book is, however, full of the account of their work and words, there is no need to take up their lives in detail at this moment. For the present, examine the lives of these three Imams and ask yourself whether these states, words, and works, through, which they forsook the world and devoted themselves to Allah, were merely the result of the knowledge of the several branches of jurisprudence, such as contracts of the type of salam, hire, rental and elase; and the different forms of divorce, namely, zihar, ila and lian; or the result of a higher and nobler knowledge. Scrutinise, too, those who claim to be following the example of these Imams and find out for yourself whether their claim is true or false. Chapter Three On what is popularly considered to be a part of the science of religion, but is (really) not Including a discussion of the circumstances under, which some of the sciences would be blameworthy; and on the exposition of how the names of certain sciences, jurisprudence, the science of religion, theology, admonition, and philosophy, have been changed, as well as on showing how much of sacred knowledge is praiseworthy and how much is blameworthy. Be advised then that knowledge is not held to be blameworthy in itself. It is only regarded as such in the eyes of men for one of three reasons. First when it leads to any harm, whether the harm should befall its practicer or someone else besides, for, which reason the science of magic and talismans is held blameworthy. Second, a knowledge is blameworthy when it is mostly (fi ghalib al-amr) harmful as, for example, astronomy, which is not, in itself, blameworthy, because it is of two parts: The first is mathematical (in reference to, which) the Koran has pronounced that (by it) the courses of the sun and the moon are reckoned. Thus Allah said: The sun and the moon to a reckoning. Koran 55 verse 4. And again: And the moon, We have determined it in phases till it returns like an old palm-branch. Koran 36 verse 39 The second is astrology (ahkam) the gist of, which is that (future) events are indicated by present causes. This is similar to how a physician is guided by the patients pulse to predict the future development of a disease. Astrology is therefore an attempt to know the course of the laws and ordinances of Allah relative to His creatures. But the law has declared it blameworthy. Thus the Prophet said: Whenever the decrees of Allah are mentioned, withhold from discussing them; whenever the stars are mention, desist from talk; and when my Companions are mention, refrain from any gossip. He warned against it for three reasons; first because it is harmful to most people, since if they were told that these results would ensure consequent upon the course of the stars, they might think that it is the stars, which influence the course of events and are also the Allahs who direct the world. Furthermore, in view of the fact that the stars are glorious celestial bodies and awe inspiring to the hearts, the hearts of mankind would naturally become focused upon them and would see both good and evil required or forbidden by the stars with the result that the Name of Allah would be erased from the heart. The feeble minded one does not look beyond the means, and only the learned man who is well grounded in knowledge would understand that the sun, moon, and the stars are subject to the will of Allah. A second reason is that astrology is purely guess work and in the opinion of the average man, (the influence of the stars) is not determined either with certainty or even probability. Pronouncements in connection with it are the result of ignorance. Consequently, astrology has been pronounced blameworthy because of this ignorance, not because it is knowledge. A third reason (for, which a kind of knowledge may be pronounced blameworthy) is when the pursuit of that kind of knowledge does not give the practicer any real scientific advantage. Consequently, such knowledge is intrinsically blameworthy, as, for example, the study of the trivial science before the important one, and the obscure before the significant, like delving into the divine mysteries, which have been pursued by both the philosophers and the theologians; but neither they nor anyone else could (grasp) it in whole or in part except the prophets and the saints. For this reason people should be deterred from delving into these mysteries, and instead, be diverted to pursue those subjects, which the law allows, wherein lies sufficiency for the guided. Determining What Names of Sciences Have Been Changed We should also be aware that the source of the confusion of the blameworthy sciences with the sacred is the tampering with, and the changes in, the names of the praiseworthy sciences and the alterations introduced therein, in bad faith, so as to connote other than those, which the righteous fathers and the first century Muslims intended. Consequently, five terms, namely, jurisprudence (fiqh), the science of religion (al ilm), theology (tawhid), admonition (tadhkir), and philosophy (hikmah), all names of praiseworthy sciences, whose possessors have held the chief positions in the religious organization, but, which now have been altered so that they connote something blameworthy; yet people have become reluctant to condemn those who possess them because of the widespread practice of applying these names to all of them (alike). The first term to be affected was jurisprudence whose meanings has been tampered with not so much by alteration and change but by limitation. It has thus been limited to the knowledge of unusual legal cases, the mastery of the minute details of their origins, excessive disputation on them, and the retention of the different opinions, which relate to them. The person who goes more deeply into these things than his colleagues and devotes moer time to them than the rest is considered the most versatile in juriprudence. But in the early period of Islam the term juriprudence (fiqh) was applied to the science of the path of the Hereafter and the knowledge of the subtle defects of the soul, the influences, which render works corrupt, the thorough realization of the inferiority of this life, the urgent expectation of bliss in the Hereafter, and the domination of fear over the heart. This is indicated by the words of Allah when He said: a party from each section should go forth to become well verses in the religion, and when they return to their people warn them in order that they may beware. Koran 9 verse122. Jurisprudence is, therefore, that, which brings about such a warning and such fear rather than details of ordinary divorce or divorcee through lian, or manumission (ataq), salam contracts, and hire, rental, and lease (ijarah), which produce neither warning nor fear. On the contrary, to devote oneself exclusively to these things hardens the heart and removes from it all fear, which is exactly what we see now in those who have so devoted themselves. Allah thus said: They have hearts, ith, which they canot understand; Koran 7 verse 179. having had in mind the meaning of belief, not of legal opinions. The Prophet said: Shall I tell you who is the profoundly discerning man? They answered: Yes. Thereupon he said; The profoundly discerning man is he who has not induced people to despair of the mercy of Allah; nor made them feel safe (rather than urge them to repent) during the period of respite, which Allah, out of patience, gives to mankind, nor made them lose hope in the spirit of Allah; nor discarded the Koran in favor of something else. The second term to have been altered is the science of religion (al-ilm), which used to be applied to the knowledge of Allah, His miracles, and His works among His servants and creatures. When, therefore, the Caliph Umar died, Ibn Musud exclaimed: Indeed nine tenths of the science of religion (al-ilm) has passed away. He thus designated this knowledge as the science, using the definite articles, and then explained it as the knowledge of Allah. Yet people used the term freely and altered its meaning by restriction until it became more commonly applied to those who debate cases of jurisprudence and the like with adversaries and are dubbed learned in the truth, versatile in knowledge. The third term (to suffer alteration) was theology (tawhid), which has now become equivalent to scholastic theology (sinaat al-kalam), the knowledge of the methods of argumentation, the manner of confounding adversaries, and the ability to be diffuse in speech by means of asking too many questions, raising doubts, and formulating requisites, to an extent that some of those groups have gone so far as to call themselves The People of Equity and Oneness (ahl al-adl w-al-tawhid) while the scholastic theologians were called the learned men of religion although nothing of the tenets of men of religion although nothing of the tents of their profession was known during the early period of Islam. On the contrary (the learned men at the time) condemned very strongly anyone who would take to disputation and contention. As to the evident proofs, which the mind accepts immediately on hearing and, which are contained in the Koran, they have been known to all. Knowledge of the Koran was all knowledge while theology (tawhid) signified something else, which was beyond the comprehension of most scholastic theologians, and, which, when they comprehended it, they were not called after its name. Theology was then the belief that all things come from Allah, a belief, which ruled out all intermediary causes (al-asbab w-al-wasait). Both good and evil would then be seen as coming from Allah. Theology (tawhid) is, therefore, like a precious fruit, which is encased in two successive husks. (Obviously) the outer husk is farther from the pith than the inner husk. People have thus applied the term (theology) exclusively to the husks, which encase the pith, as well as the t heir protection, and have entirely ignored the pith itself. The out husk represents the verbal profession that there is no god except Allah, which profession is called monotheism in contradistinction to the trinitarianism the Christians profess. Such a profession, however, may come from the lips of ahypocrite whose secret thoughts contradict his open declaration. The inner husk represents the state wherein the heart neither opposes nor denies the express meaning of this statement, but rather the outward expression of the heart represents its belief and acceptance of that belief. This the monotheism, which the common folk profess. The third part is the pith itself. It represents the belief that all things come from Allah, a belief, which rules out any consideration of instrumentalities and implies worshiping Him and no other thing besides Him. The fourth term to be altered was the science of invocation (dihkr) and admonition (tadhkir). Allah said: But remind, the Reminder will benefit the believers. Koran 51 verse 55. Several traditions commending the assemblies of invocation (dihkr) have been passed down to use, as, for instance, the words of the Prophet when he said; When you pass by the gardens of Paradise, stop and enjoy yourselves. On being asked what the gardens of Paradise were, he replied, The assemblies of invocation. And again in the following tradition: indeed, other than the guardian angels, Allah has rover angels (sayyahan) who roam the earth looking for the assemblies of invocation (dihkr). On locating an assembly they beckon one another saying: Come to your goal. Then the rover angels gather around these assemblies and hear the words: O you remember Allah and give warning to one another. The practice has been altered in favor of story telling, recital of poems, ecstatic utterances (shath) and heresies (tammat), the things, which contemporary preachers persist in doing. As to story telling, it is an innovation; in fact our fathers have warner against attending the circles of story tellers saying that it was not the custom either at the time of the Messenger of Allah or the times of Abou Bakr and Umar. It was not until the appearance of heresy that they made their appearance. Unfortunately, however, those who are in the habit of embellishing their speech with lies have taken these traditions as means of justification for themselves and have appropriated the name warning (tadhkir) for their fables thus forgetting the right path of praiseworthy invocation (dihkr) and spending their time in recounting tales, which are subject to variations, accretions, and deletions, and, which deviate from the stories, which occur in the Koran and go beyond them. Some of the tales are good to hear while others are harmful in spite of the fact that they may be true. Whoever would go after this practice would no longer be able to distinguish truth from lies and what is good from that, which is harmful. As to poetry, its generous use in sermons is blameworthy. Allah said: Poets are followed by the perverse. Have you not seen how they wander in every valley Koran 26 verses 224-225. And Allah High Exalted said: We have not taught him (Prophet Muhammad) poetry, nor does it become him. Koran 36 verse 69. Furthermore, most of the poetry with, which the preachers are familiar and, which they are accustomed to repeat in their sermons pertain to claims of being in love, the beauty of the beloved, the joys of union with him, and pains of separation; while the assembly comprises no one but the crude among the common folk whose minds are saturated with lust and their eyes never cease from staring at fair faces. Their poetry inspires nothing in their hearts except that, which their hearts already conceal, and enkindles therein the flames of lust. Consequently they begin to shriek and make a show of their love. Most of this, if not all, is a result of a certain kind of corruption. Therefore no poetry should be used unless it contains a moral or a wise saying and should only be used as evidence or for example. By ecstatic utterances we mean two types of speech evolved by some of the Sufis. The first comprises long pretentious claims of excessive love (ishq) of Allah and of union (wisal), which renders outward deeds superfluous until some have asserted oneness (ittihad) with Allah, the removal of the veil (hijab), seeing (mushahadah) Him with the eye (ruyah), and mouth to mouth conversation. They thus say that they were told such and such and that they have said such and such and imitate thereby al Husayn ibn Mansur al Hallaj who was crucified for letting slip from his lips certain words of this type, and cite as an example his saying: I am the Truth. (Anal Haqq). The second type of ecstatic utterances comprises unintelligible words with pleasing externals of, which some, though awesome, are useless. They may be of two kinds: the first and more common comprises words unintelligible to the author who utters them because of the perplexity in his own mind and the confusion in his imagination resulting from his ignorance of the exact meaning of the words, which he hears; while the seconds represents words, which may be intelligible to their author who, however, because of his insufficient practice in science and his lack of instruction in rhetoric, is unable to convey them to others through language, which can express his thoughts. As to heresies (tammat), they comprise, besides what we have already mentioned under the ecstatic utterances (shath), another thing characteristic of them, namely, the dismissal of the obvious and literal meaning of words in favor of an esoteric interpretation of worthless value such as the Batinite method of interpretation, which is unlawful and of great harm. An example of the interpretations put forward by those heretics may be seen in the assertion of one of them that in the verse where Allah addresses Moses saying: Go to Pharaoh, he has become exceedingly insolent (Koran 79 verse 17) the word Pharaoh stands for the heart of Moses, the heart being the trespasser against every man. Again when Allah said to Moses: Cast down your staff. (Koran 27 verse 10), the word staff is asserted to represent anything besides Allah on, which man may depend (and in, which he may place his trust), and should therefore be cast away. The fifth term to have been altered is wisdom (hikmah), since we see that it has now become customary to apply the word wise (hakim) equally to the physician, the poet, the astrologer, and even to the one who reads fortunes for the peasants who squat on the street corners. Wisdom, however, is that, which Allah commended when he said: He gives wisdom to whom He will, and he who is given wisdom has been given a lot of good. Koran 2 verse 269. The Prophet also said: A word of wisdom, which man learns is better to him that the world and all that is in it. We see, therefore, what wisdom stood for and to what it has been altered, and examine, in the same way, the other terms. Beware, then, of being deceived by the ambiguities of the teachers of falsehood: their evil influence upon religion is greater than that of Satan. Determining How Much is Praiseworthy (to acquire) of the Praiseworthy Sciences One should know that, in this respect, science is divided into three parts. One part is that whose knowledge is blameworthy whether it be in part or as a whole. Another is that whose partial as well as total knowledge is praiseworthy; in fact the more one acquires of it, the better. Third is that whose knowledge is praiseworthy within a certain limit, that of sufficiency, but beyond that it ceases to the praiseworthy; to go into it deeply is not???(word is illegible). The part whose partial and total knowledge is blameworthy is that, which has no use either in the realm of religion or in the domain of life because its harmfulness exceeds its utility, such as the science of magic, talismans and astrology. The part whose knowledge, even to the limit of thoroughness, is praiseworthy is the science of knowing Allah, His attributes and works as well as His Law, which governs His creatures and His Wisdom in ordaining the superiority of the Hereafter to this life. The knowledge of this is incumbent upon mankind both for itself and also for attaining thereby the bliss of the Hereafter. The sciences whose knowledge is praiseworthy up to a certain limit are those, which we have already mentioned under the sciences the acquisition of whose knowledge is a collective duty. Every one of these sciences has three stages; first limitation (iqtisar), which stage is the primary, second moderation (iqtisad), which is the intermediary, and third thoroughness (istiqsi), which is a sequel to moderation and, which goes on and on during the life of the seeker. Be, therefore, on of two, either one who educates himself, or one who concerns himself with the education of others after he has educated himself. Never, however, concern yourself with reforming others before you have first reformed yourself. The one who would spend himself in pursuing what would reform others (while he himself remains unredeemed) is insolent, and how utterly foolish is the man who, when snakes and scorpions have crept beneath his clothes, is busy looking for a whisk with, which to drive the flies off from other people, a task, which will neither spare nor save him from the attacks of the snakes and scorpions lurking beneath his clothes. Chapter Four On the Reasons, which Induced Men to pursue the Science of Polemics and on Revealing the Evils of Debate and Disputation as well as Stating the Conditions, which Render Them Permissible. After the death of the Messenger of Allah, the caliphate was occupied by the orthodox and guided caliphs who were Imams of righteousness, learned in the science of Allah, His essence and His attributes, versed in His statues, and independent in handing down their legal opinions and decisions. In this they did not seek the aid of jurists except in very rare cases in, which consultation was indispensable. They devoted themselves to the science of the Hereafter and used to refer legal questions and all that pertains to human affairs in this world to one another and with their keenest effort, as the accounts of their lives reveal, they followed after Allah. When at their death, the caliphate passed to those who occupied it without either merit or independence in legal opinion and decisions, the caliphs were compelled to seek the aid of jurists and to attach them to themselves on all occasions in order to consult with them on the manner of their judicial decisions. A few learned followers (tabiun), who continued to emulate the orthodox caliphs and persisted in conforming to the dictates of religion, and in following the way of righteous Fathers, were still living. Whenever they were sought (for appointment as judges), they would flee, disdaining (altogether such honor). Consequently the caliphs were compelled to be insistent in their desire to appoint them as judges and to delegate to them the power of government. Contemporaries were thus awakened to the glory of the learned men who, while they paid no attention to the caliphs and governors, were persistently sought by them. As a result these contemporaries turned with their efforts towards knowledge, which they hoped to acquire in order to attain power and glory through the solicitation of governors. They bent themselves to the study of the science of legal opinions and offered their services to governors from whom they sought office and rewards. In this some failed while others met success, but those who were successful were not free from the obsequiousness of begging and the servility of indebtedness. Consequently the learned men, after having once been sought, have now become job seekers, and after having once been proud of their indifference to the sultans, have now become obsequious by waiting upon them. (This is true of all) except the few learned men of religion whom Allah has blessed in every age. Subsequently, however, there appeared some distinguished men who deemed it improper to discourse on theology and start a series of debates therein because such a thing would lead to bloodshed and destruction. Instead they preferred to debate in jurisprudence and to point out the more important juridical points in the systems of Al ShafiI and Abou Hanifah in particular. Consequently, men discarded theology and other disciplines of knowledge and pursued especially problems of disagreement between Al ShafiI and Abou Hanifah, while to those between Malik, Sufyan (al Thawri), Ahmad (ibn Hanbal), and others, they paid little attention. Their purpose, they claimed, was to elicit the abstruse points of law, determine the principles of the system, and prepare the bases of legal opinions and decisions. They composed many works on the subject and elicited many points, setting forth therein the different kinds of syllogisms of controversy and enumerating the various works that pertain thereto. Furthermore they still continue to compose at this present time; as to the future, however, we do not know what Allah ordained. This, then, is what induced men to take up nothing but controversies and debate. On the Evils of Debate and the Character Destroying Influences Resulting There from We shall now allude to the major evils, which are enkindled by debate. Of these we may enumerate the following. One is envy. The Prophet said: As fire consumes wood so does envy consume goods deeds. The debater persists in envy because at times he overcomes his adversary and at other times he himself is overcome; at times his words are praised and at other times those of his opponent are applauded; and as long as there remains in all the world one known among men for his versatile knowledge and regarded by them more learned than the debater and endowed with keener insight, the debater will inevitably envy him and wish that the favors and admiration, which that man enjoys might accrue to him instead. Envy is a consuming fire; its victim is subject to torment in this world while in the world to come his tortures will be more intense and painful. For this reason Ibn Abbas said: Take knowledge wherever you may find it, but accept not the opinion of one jurist concerning another because they are as jealous of one another as the bulls in the cattle-yard. Another is pride and haughtiness. The Prophet said: He who exalts himself is humbled by Allah. The debater persists in exalting himself above his equals and peers and in claiming for himself a station higher than his worth to the extent that he and his colleagues fight over their seats in assembly halls and boast about t he degree of their elevation or lowliness as well as their proximity to, or remoteness from the central seats. Another is rancour from, which a debater is hardly ever free. The Prophet said: The believer is free from rancour. Several more traditions have been related in condemnation of rancour and they are well known. Yet we do not know of a debater who is capable of entertaining no rancour against anyone who would nod his head in approval of the words of his adversary, or who, when the latter pauses in the midst of a sentence, would politely wait for him. On the contrary he would, whenever he is confronted with such a situation, entertain and foster rancour in his heart. He may attempt to restrain himself hoping thereby to disguise his feelings; but in most cases he fails as his feelings invariably reveal themselves. How can he refrain from rancour when it is inconceivable that all the audience should unite in favoring his argument and approve all his conclusions and deductions? Furthermore, should his opponent show the least sign of inconsideration about what he is saying, he would entertain for him in his heart a hatred that would last throughout his life. Another is backbiting, which was likened by Allah to the eating of carrion. Neither spy nor backbite one another, would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? (Koran 49 verse 12). The debater persists in eating carrion and is continually referring to the words of his opponent and traducing him. Because he endeavors to be right in what he says about his opponent, he inevitably cites only what shows the weaknesses of his opponents argument and the flaws in his excellence. Of such is traducing and backbiting, while lying is sheer calumny. The debater, moreover, cannot keep his tongue from attacking the honor of anyone who turns away from him and listens to his opponent. He would even ascribe to him ignorance, foolishness, lack of understanding and stupidity. Another is self-justification. Allah said: Do not praise yourself. Allah knows the cautious. Koran 53 verse 32 A certain wise man once was asked: What truth is reprehensible? He replied: A mans praising himself (even though it is justified). A debater is never free from praising himself (and boasting) of his power, triumph, and excellence over his peers. In the course of a debate he would repeatedly say: I am fully a ware of all such things, and I am versatile in sciences, of independent judgment in questions of law, and well versed in the knowledge of tradition, and many other assertions besides with, which he would sing his own praise, sometimes out of sheer arrogance and at other times out of need to render his words convincing. It is well known that arrogance and self pride are by law and reason condemned. Another is spying and prying into a persons private affairs. Allah said: Neither spy Koran 49 verse 12. The debater always seeks to uncover the errors of his peers and continually pries into the private affairs of his opponents. He would, when informed of the arrival in town of another debater, seek someone who could reveal the inside story of the man and would by means of a questionnaire attempt to bare his vices in order to expose and disgrace him whenever the need should arise. He even would inquire about the affairs of his early life and the blemishes of his body in the hope of discovering some defect or disfigurment such as scalp pustule and the like. Should he fear defeat at the hands of his opponent, he would, in the course of the debate, allude to these blemishes, especially if his opponent should remain firm and stand his ground, and would not refrain from being outspoken if he were given to insolence and scorn. Another is to rejoice at the injury of others and feel depressed when they are glad. Anyone who does not desire for his brother Muslim what he desires for himself is far removed from the way of the believers. Thus he who prides himself by parading his excellence is inevitably pleased at the injury of his peers and equals who vie with him for glory. The hatred, which exists between them is like that, which exists between fellow wives. Just as the one wife would tremble and turn pale at the sight of her fellow wife so would a debater at the sight of another; his colour would change and his mind become perplexed as though he had seen a mighty devil or a hungry lion. Another is deception, the evidence of whose blameworthiness (is well known) and need not be enumerated. Debaters are compelled to deception because when they meet their opponents, friends, or followers, they find it necessary to endear themselves to them by saying nice things, which they do not mean, by feigning to have been anxious to meet them, and by pretending to be impressed by their station and position, while everyone present as well as the speakers and those to whom they have spoken know that the whole thing is untrue, false, fraudulent, and wicked. They profess their love with their tongues while their hearts seethe with hate. From it all we seek refuge in Allah. The Prophet also said: When people take to knowledge and ignore works, when they profess love to one another with their tongue and nurse hatred in their hearts, and when they sever the ties of relationship, which bind them, Allah will visit His wrath upon them and curse them, He will render their tongues mute and their eyes blind. The truth of this tradition, which was related by Al Hasan, has been verified as these conditions, which it predicts have been witness and seen. Another is to resist truth and detest it and to persist in disputing it so much so that the most hateful thing to a debater is to see the truth revealed by his opponent; no matter what it may be, he would do his best to refute and deny it and would exert his utmost in deception, trickery and fraud in order to disprove his adversary until contention becomes in him a second nature. He is unable to hear anything without immediately expressing his objection to it. This habit o fhis would even drive him to dispute the truths of the Koran and the words of tradition and would cause him to cite the one in contradiction of the other. Another is hypocrisy and flattering people in an effort to win their favor and mislead. Hypocrisy is that virulent disease, which leads to the gravest of the major sins. The debater wants nothing but to the gravest of the major sins. The debater wants nothing but to put himself forward before people, and to gain their approval and praise. These ten traits are among the greatest secret sins. Others who lack restraint, may engage in controversies leading to the exchange of blows, kicking, boxing, tearing garments, plucking bears, cursing parents, denouncing teachers, and outright slander. Such people, however, are not considered respectable human beings. The prominent and sober among them do not go beyond the preceding ten traits. One may be free of this or that trait with regard to his inferiors or superiors whatever the case may be, or with regard to people outside his community or his sphere of work. Yet in his attitude towards his peers, who are equal to him in position, the debater is guilty of all these traits. Each of these ten traits may give rise to ten other vices, which we shall neither discuss nor explain at the present time. They include snobbishness, anger, hatred, greed, the desire to seek money and power in order to attain triumph, boasting, gaiety, arrogance, exalting the wealthy and those in authority as well as frequenting their places and partaking of their unlawful riches, parading with horses, state coaches, and outlawed garments, showing contempt to people by being vain and ostentatious, meddling in the affairs of others, talkativeness, the disappearance of awe, fear and mercy from the heart, absentmindedness to an extent that the worshiper would no longer be aware of what he prayed, or read, or who had communed with him during the prayer. Chapter Five On the Proprieties of the Student and the Teacher The formal proprieties and duties of the student are many but may be classified under ten headings. The first duty of the student is to purify his soul from impure traits and blameworthy characteristics because knowledge is the worship of mans heart as well as the prayer of his inmost self (sirr) and the oblation of his inward being before Allah. Just as prayer, which is the duty of the physical senses, is not fulfilled unless the physical body has been purified from excrements and impurities, so is the worship of the inward being as well as the reformation of the heart: they are not fulfilled through knowledge unless they first be cleansed from impurities and uncleanliness. The second duty of the student is to reduce (to a minimum) his ties with the affairs of the world and leave his kin and country because such ties occupy ones time and divert ones attention. Furthermore Allah has not given the human two hearts and the more mind divides its attention among several things, the less able it is to comprehend the truth. For this reason it has been said: knowledge will surrender nothing to mankind unless mankind surrenders his all to it. Even when you devote yourself completely to it, you cannot be sure that you will attain any of it. The mind, which divides its attention among different things is like a stream the water of, which flows in several different directions only to be absorbed in part by the earth and in part by the air with the result that nothing is left for irrigation of planted lands. The third duty of the student is that he should neither scorn knowledge nor exalt himself over the teacher, but rather entrust to him the conduct of his affairs and submit to his advice just as the simple patient would submit to a sympathetic and clever physician. He should humble himself before his teacher and through his service seek reward and honor. The fourth duty is that the student should at first pay no attention to the numerous differences of opinion, which exist among people, whether in the secular sciences or in the sciences of the Hereafter, because they would confuse and perplex his mind, cool his enthusiasm and cause him to despair of ever comprehending or learning anything. Rather he should first master the one and only praiseworthy way, which is satisfactory to his teacher and then attend to the other schools of thought and questionable ideas. He should be on the lookout to see if his teacher is not capable of reaching independent opinions but is in the habit of repeating the opinions of the different schools and the comments, which have been made concerning them, because the influence of such a teacher is more misleading that it is helpful. One blind is not fit lead the blind and guide them. The fifth duty is that the seeker after knowledge should not allow any branch or kind of praiseworthy knowledge to escape him without carefully examining it in order to become familiar with its aims and purposes, and should time permit, he should take it up in detail; otherwise he should address himself to and master the most important, while acquainting himself with the rest, because the different branches of knowledge are both supplementary to one another and closely interrelated. The sixth duty is that the student should not address himself at the same time to every branch of knowledge, but should rather observe some kind of order and begin with the most important, especially since life is ordinarily too short to enable a person to pursue all branches of knowledge. It is therefore wise to acquire the best of everything, satisfying oneself, so to speak, with the mere tasting of it while directing whatever power one has left, after having obtained all available knowledge, towards mastering that noblest of all sciences, the science of the Hereafter. The seventh duty is that no one should address himself to one branch of knowledge before he has already mastered the branch, which precedes it because science is of necessity so arranged that one branch prepares for another and one branch leads to another. Only the person who would observe this order would succeed. The eighth duty is to know how to ascertain the noble nature of this or the other science. By this is meant two things; the nobility of its fruit and the authenticity of its principles. Take for example the science of religion and that of medicine. The fruit of the one is eternal life and the fruit of the other is the physical life; consequently the science of religion is the nobler; or again the science of arithmetic and astrology; the former is the nobler because of the firmer and more authentic foundations of its principles. If on the other hand arithmetic should be compared with medicine the latter would be the nobler with respect to its fruit while with respect to its principles arithmetic would be the nobler. The fruit, however, has the priority. For this reason medicine, although mostly guesswork, is nobler. The ninth duty is that the students purpose should, at the time, be the adornment and beautification of his inner self with virtue, and at the end, nearness to Allah and ascent to the neighbourhood of the heavenly hosts, the angels and the cherubim. His aim should not be the attainment of authority or influence nor contention with foolish men and boasting before his peers. But is his aim was (to draw near to Allah) he would inevitably seek that, which was closed to it, namely, the science of the Hereafter. Nevertheless he should not look with contempt upon the other sciences such as the sciences of jurisprudence, the sciences of syntax and grammar, which are connected with the Koran and the Sunnah, and other sciences like those already mentioned in connection with the auxiliary and supplementary sciences discussed under those sciences the acquisition of, which is a fard kifayah (collective duty). One should not, however, gather from our enthusiastic praise of the science of the Hereafter that we seek to disparage the other sciences. On the contrary those who have undertaken to study them are like those who have undertaken to guard the outpost of Islam where they are encamped, or like the conquerors who are warring in the cause of Allah. Of them some are active fighters, others are on the reserve, others are in charge of the water supply, while others look after the mounts; but all will receive their reward if their aim is the glory of the word of Allah rather than the possession of spoils. Allah said: Allah will raise up in ranks those who believed among you and those who have been given knowledge Koran 58 verse11. And again referring to those who have followed His good pleasure: They are in ranks with Allah Koran 3 verse163. Virtue is relative and our scorn for the moneychangers when we compare them with royalty does not mean that they are contemptible when compared with the street cleaners. Do not think, therefore, that whatever falls short of the highest ranks is worthless. For the highest rank belongs to the prophets, followed by that of the saints, then that of the learned men who are well versed in knowledge, and finally the righteous according to their ranks. In short: Whosoever has done an atoms weight of good shall see it, and whosoever has done an atoms weight of evil shall see it. Koran 99 verses 7-8. Whosever will seek Allah through knowledge, no matter what kind, he is sure to profit and advance. The tenth duty of the student is that he should know the relation of the different sciences to the goal so that he might not attach more importance to close by, inconsequential matters than to remote but more important things. The Duties of the Teacher The first duty of the teacher is to be sympathetic to students and treat them as his own children. The Prophet said: I am to you like a father who desires to save his child from the fires of hell, which is more important than any of the efforts of parents to save their children from the fires of the earth. For this reason the rights of the teacher have become greater than the rights of the parents. The parents are the cause of the childrens present existence in this mortal life, while the teacher is the cause of their immortal life. The second duty of the teacher is to follow the example of the Lawgiver; he should seek no remuneration for his services on behalf of knowledge and accept neither reward nor thanks. Rather he should impart his knowledge free for the glory of Allah and for the sake of drawing near to Him. He should not feel that his students are under any obligation to him although the feeling of obligation in incumbent upon them. He should give them credit for disciplining their hearts with knowledge in order to draw near to Allah. Thus, when someone lends you a plat of land so that you can exploit it for yourself by planting it, the benefits you reap are greater than those of the owner of the land. Would you then feel that he was under any obligation to you? Similarly, in teacher, your compensation is greater than that of the student, and without him you would not have attained it. The third duty of the teacher is that he should not withhold from the student any advice, or allow him to attempt the work of any grade unless he is qualified for it, or permit him to address himself to abstruse sciences before he has mastered those, which are clear. He should also point out to him that the purpose of acquiring knowledge is to draw near to Allah rather than power, boasting, and competition, and should in the strongest possible way, condemn any such things in his students. The fourth duty, which is one of the finer points of the profession of teaching is that the teacher, in dissuading the student from his evil way, should do so by suggestion rather than openly, and with sympathy rather than with odious upbraiding. Open dissuasion destroys the veil of awe, invites defiance, and encourages stubbornness. The Prophet, who is the guide of every teacher, said in this connection: If men had been forbidden to make porridge of camels dung, they would have done it, saying that they would not have been forbidden to do it unless there had been some good in it. The fifth duty is that the person who is teaching a certain science should not belittle or disparage the value of other sciences before his students. Thus it is customary for the teacher of language to disparage jurisprudence and the teacher of jurisprudence to slight the sciences of traditions and interpretation. Such traits are blameworthy and reprehensible in teachers, and should be avoided. The sixth duty of the teacher is that he should limit the student to what the latter is able to understand and should not require of him anything, which his mind cannot grasp for fear that he would develop a feeling of dislike for the subject, and his mind would become confused. In this the teacher should follow the example of the Prophet who said: We prophets have been commanded to give every man his rightful place and to communicate with everyone according to his own ability to understand. The seventh duty is that the teacher should give his backward students only such things as are clear and suitable to their (limited understanding) and should not mention to them anything about the details that are apt to follow but, which he deems fitting for the present to withhold. Such a course would discourage the students and make their interest even in easy subjects lukewarm, perplex them in their minds and make them think that the real reason for the teachers reluctance to impart to those details is his illiberality, especially because everyone usually believes himself capable of mastering every science no matter how complex. Thus there is no one who is not satisfied with Allah for the perfect mind He gave him. Even the most foolish and feeble minded among men is usually the most pleased with the perfection of his mind. The eight duty is that the teacher must practice what he teaches and not allow his works to contradict his word. The relation of the guide to those who seek his guidance is like the relation of the stamp to the clay and like that of the shadow of the cane to the cane itself. How then could the clay be stamped with a stamp that bears no character and how could the shadow of the cane be straight if the cane itself were crooked? The following conveys the same meaning: If you condemn a sin and then commit the same transgression, shame upon your head. Chapter Six On the Evils of Knowledge and on Determining the Distinguishing Features of the Learned of the Hereafter and those of the Teachers of Falsehood It is very important to ascertain what distinguishes the learned of this world from the learned of the Hereafter. By those learned of this world we mean the teachers of falsehood whose sole purpose in pursuing knowledge is to enjoy the luxuries of this life and to achieve power and position among its people. The Prophet said: The most severely punished of all mankind on the day of Resurrection will be the learned one whom Allah has not blessed with His knowledge. He also said: Do not acquire knowledge in order to vie with the learned, dispute with and silence the insolent, and win favor and popularity among men, for whosoever would do this would be doomed to Hell Fire. Jesus said: How can you lead the night travelers along the way when you yourselves are perplexed? We find in history the same evidence. Umar said: The thing I fear most for the safety of this nation is the learned hypocrite. Umar was then asked how one could be both learned and hypocritical, to, which he replied: When his learning does not go beyond verbal knowledge while his heart remains untouched and his works (betray no wisdom). Sufyan Al Thawri said: Knowledge summons works and unless they respond, it departs. Ibn al Mubarak said: As long as a person continues to seek knowledge he remains learned, but the moment he thinks he has mastered all knowledge, he recedes into ignorance. Among the learned are those who would guard their knowledge and dislike the idea of sharing it with others; these will occupy the first depth in Hell. There are others who are in the habit of regarding their knowledge as equivalent to power and position; and if they are ever contradicted or slighted they become infuriated; these will occupy the second depth in Hell. Others confine their knowledge to the circles of nobility and wealth and deem the poor classes unworthy of it; these will occupy the third depth in Hell. Others appoint themselves judges and hand down faulty opinions; these will occupy the fourth depth in Hell. Other learned men employ in their discourses Jewish and Christian argument in order to make their erudition seem great; these will occupy the fifth depth in Hell. Others regard their knowledge as something virtuous and honorable and continually dwell on it before men; these will occupy the sixth depth in Hell. And finally there are the learned who are the victims of vanity and conceit. Whenever they preach they upbraid, and whenever they are admonished they show resentment; these will occupy the seventh depth in Hell. It has been related that Yahya ibn Yazid al Nawfali once wrote to Malik ibn Anas saying: In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful. May His blessing be upon His Messenger Muhammad. From Yahya ibn Yazid ibn Abd al Malik to Malik ibn Anas: I have been informed that you wear fine clothes, eat choice food, recline on comfortable couches, and station at your door chamberlains. At the same time you have assumed the seat of learning and men have come toyou from every direction, selecting you as their Imam and accepting your pronouncements as the final word. Fear then Allah and humble yourself. I have written to you this letter of advice. No one besides Allah has seen its contents. Peace be with you. Malik wrote back saying: In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful. May His blessing be upon Muhammad, His Messenger, and on His Companions. From Malik ibn Anas to Yahya ibn Yazid: The peace of Allah be upon you. I have received your letter, which I accept as the token of your interest and sympathy, and as the evidence of your refined character. May Allah bless your piety and reward and prosper you for you advice. I seek the help of Allah; there is no strength nor power but in Him. As to your charge that we eat choice food, wear fine clothes, station chamberlains at our door, and recline on comfortable couches, may we state that (at times) we do all these but usually beg the forgiveness of Allah. (May we, however, add) that Allah said in the Koran: Say, Who has forbidden the adornment that Allah has brought for His worshipers and the good provision? (Koran 7 verse 32) Furthermore we know very well that abstinence from these things is better than indulgence in them. At any rate do not neglect us in the matter of writing and we shall not forget you. Peace be with you. See then the sense of justice, which Malik displayed; he admitted that to abstain from these things was better than indulgence in them, yet at the same time he handed down the opinion they were permissible, and he was right in both. Chapter Seven On the Intellect, Its Noble Nature, Its Definition, and Its Divisions The Noble Nature of the Intellect: It will be superfluous to show the noble nature of the intellect (al-aql), especially because through it the noble nature of knowledge has been revealed. Intellect is the source and fountainhead of knowledge as well as its fountain. Knowledge springs from it as the fruit from the tree and the light from the sun and vision from the eye. How then could that, which is the means of happiness in this world and the next not be noble or how could it ever be doubted? Thus we find in the Koran that Allah called it light when He said: Allah is the Lighter of the heavens and the earth. The example of His Light is like a tube, in, which there is a wick. The wick is in a lamp and the lamp is as a glittering planet kindled from a Blessed Tree Koran 24 verse 35. The knowledge derived from it was called a spirit, a revelation and a life. Allah said: And We have revealed to you (Prophet Muhammad) a spirit (the revelation of the Koran) from Our Ordinance.. Koran 42 verse 52. And again: Is he who was dead whom We revived and given a light with, which he walks among people to be compared to him who blunders about in darkness from, which he will never emerge? Koran 6 verse 122. Furthermore, whenever Allah mentions light and darkness He means by it knowledge and ignorance respectively, as is evident is His words: He brings them out from darkness into the light Koran 2 verse 257. It was reported on the authority of Aishah that she once said: O Messenger of Allah! How do people excel each other in this world? He replied: In intellect. And in the Hereafter? she added. In intellect, he replied again. The Aishah said: But are they not rewarded according to their works? To, which the Messenger of Allah replied: O Aishah! Have they ever achieved anything except in proportion to what Allah has given them of intellect? Their works will always be in proportion to the intellect, which Allah has given them, and their reward will be in proportion to their works. The Prophet also said: Indeed the believer who is most beloved of Allah is the one who toils in the service of Allah and gives counsel to his people, whose understanding is complete; who admonishes himself and consequently sees the truth and acts accordingly all the days of his life, with the result that he himself prospers and leads others to success. And again: The man who possess the most mature mind among you is he who fears Allah most, fulfilling best what He enjoined and desisting from what He has forbidden, although that man may be the least willing to obey. The truth, however, is that the word intellect (aql) is a term used interchangeably for four distinct meanings. In the case of such words, therefore, no one single definition should be expected to cover the several meanings of the term. On the contrary, each meaning should have its individual definition. First is the quality, which distinguishes man from the other animals and prepares him to understand and grasp the theoretical sciences (nazaiyah), and master the abstract (fikriyah) disciplines. Secondly the word aql is applied to that knowledge, which makes its appearance even in the infant who discerns the possibility of possible things (jaizat) and the impossibility of impossible things (mustahiiat), such as the knowledge that the two are greater than the one and that the one individual cannot be in two different places at the same time. It is what one fo the scholastics meant when he defined the word aql as some axiomatic (daruriyah) knowledge, such as the possibility of possible things and the impossibility of impossible things. This definition is right, as it stands, because this knowledge is existent and the application of the word aql to it is clear. What is wrong, however, is to deny that instinct, and to hold that only this kind of knowledge exists. In the third place the word aql has been applied to that knowledge, which is acquired through experience (empirical knowledge), in the course of events. Thus he who has been taught by experience and schooled by time is generally called intelligent (aqil), while he who lacks these qualifications is called unintelligent, stupid and ignorant. In the fourth place the word aql is used when the power of the instinct develops to such an extent that its owner will be able to tell what the end will be, and consequently he will conquer and subdue his appetite, which hankers for immediate pleasers. Whenever such a power obtains, its owner, in view of the fact that he embarks upon an undertaking, or refrains from it only after a thorough consideration of its end rather than in answer to the urge of a carnal appetite, is called intelligent. On The Intellectual Disparity Among People People have disagreed concerning the disparity, which exists among their intellects (aql). But there is no use in repeating the arguments of those of little knowledge. It is more important to proceed immediately to the declaration of the truth. The obvious truth in this case is that this disparity pervades all the four parts of the intellect except the second, namely, axiomatic (daruri) knowledge, such as the possibility of possible things and the impossibility of impossible things. Thus he who comprehends that two are greater than one will also comprehend the impossibility for one object being in two different places at the same time, or for a thing being both eternal (qadim) and originated (hadith). The name is true of all other similar fact and whatever is comprehended with certain comprehension free of any doubt. The three other parts are subject to disparity. As to the fourth, namely the power of the intellect to conquer the appetite, the disparity in it among men is evident and clear; in fact, it is evident and clear that, at times, even the individual betrays a certain degree of disparity therein. This is sometimes the result of variation in the intensity of different appetites. A wise man may be able to overcome one appetite more readily than another; but the problem is not restricted to this only. The young man may fail to overcome the appetite of sex and desist from fornication, but when he advances in age and his understanding becomes mature he will be able to subdue his lust. On the other hand, hypocrisy and pride increase and grow stronger with age. This disparity may also be the result of differences in the mastery of the knowledge, which reveals the evils of the other appetites. Thus a physician may be able to abstain from some of the harmful foods, while another man may fail simply because he lacks medical knowledge, although he may be the physicians peer in intellect and of the same belief in the harmful effects of those foods. Again, the more mature the physicians intellect, the stronger will be his fear. Hence fear is an aid in the service of intellect, an instrument with, which to overcome and break appetites. Similarly, the learned man is more capable of renouncing sin than the ignorant, because his knowledge of the evils of sin is greater. I mean the true learned men and not those of the flowing robes who dote and rave and prattle of things they know little about. The Second Book The Articles of Faith Comprising Four Chapters Chapter One An Exposition on the People of the Sunnah and the Two Phrases of Witnessing; being the Pillar of Islam All praise be to Allah, The Originator and the Perpetuator of what He pleases, The One and Only, there is no god except He, The Eternal Cause of all being, He begets not, nor was He begotten and there is none comparable to Him. Glory to Allah above that they associate! He is Allah, the Knower of the Unseen, and the Seen, He is The Merciful, The Most Merciful, He is the Sovereing, the Holy, the Peace, the Giver of Faith, the Overall Controller, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Majestic, He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper, to Him belong the Most Sublime Attributes. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. All Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. He is the First and the Last, the Clear and the Hidden, He has knowledge of all things: (Koran 57 verse 3) Who guides whoever He chooses from among His servants to the right Path, Who has bestowed His favors on His servants, filling their hearts with the light of religion and its duties, sent down from the Throne of Glory to the heaven of this world by the steps of mercy. One mark of His Compassion: in contrast to earthly kings, though majesty and might belong to Him Alone, He urges the people to bring Him their requests and pleas, saying: Will anyone call, that I may answer him? Will anyone seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Unlike the rulers of this world. He keeps an open door and does not screen himself away. He allows His worshipers to converse with Him intimately in their prayers, under all circumstances, be they in congregation or isolation. Not merely allowing, indeed, He gently urges and invites. How different are those feeble worldly kings. Glory be to Him, therefore, so grand in His sublimity, so Strong in His authority, so Perfect in His graciousness, so All embracing in His goodness. Allah High Exalted said: There is nothing like Him. Koran 42 verse 11. High Exalted, The Ever-Living, The Eternal Power, no fatigue or inability can take Him. No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth. Who is there that can intercede in His presence except by His permission. He knows their future and their past, nor shall they attain any of His Knowledge except as He wills. His Sovereignty and Knowledge extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in preserving them, and He is the Most High. The Originator of the heavens and the earth, He created from yourselves your wives, and for the cattle mates, multiplying you therein. The All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, He hears and sees everything, nothing can escape Him, and nothing can be hidden from Him however minute. No veil can obscure His hearing, nor darkness obliterate His Sight. He is Allah. He is the Just and there is no justice comparable to His, He forbids injustice among His servants. The second word: the certification that the Messengers are sent by Allah and that He has sent Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet of Quraish with His Message to the worlds, to Jinn and mankind, with his Shariah, which supersedes all others, and preferred him to all Prophets and made him exemplary. He has forbidden the perfection of faith by the witnessing of the oneness in saying: there is no god except Allah without the saying in completion and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. He made it obligatory on mankind to adhere to whatever he conveys regarding the affairs of this world and of the Hereafter. So whoever believes all this with a certainty of faith he is from the people of the truth and the Sunnah, and has distanced himself from misguidance and those who invent falsehood. We seek from Allah, the Almighty to make us and all Muslims steadfast in our faith out of His mercy, indeed He is the Most Merciful of those who give mercy. Praise and peace be upon Muhammad His worshipper and Messenger. Chapter Two The Steps to Guidance and The Degrees of Belief Know that what we have mentioned in the previous chapter regarding Faith should be presented to the child in the beginning of his upbringing, so that he imbibes it into his being, so that its meaning reveals itself to him as he grows. At first he should memorize it, then understand it, then have certainty and belief, then believe wholly in it. This is the usual process. From the grace of Allah to man is that He makes his heart naturally capable of receiving faith without the need for signs or proofs, and without the need for learning the ways of argument and debate, rather simply by occupying himself with the recitation of the Koran and its expounding, as well as the reading of the prophetic sayings and their meaning. He should also occupy himself with all forms of worship so that his faith continues to deepen and grow due to the signs given in the Koran. What he receives of the Hadiths and their benefit and whatever shines over him of the light of guidance, and of what he can gain from heeding the discourses of righteous people and observing their submission to Allah, and their fear of Him, will be the first prompts for him, just as the seeds are sown into the soil, all this will be the means by, which he will grow stronger in faith, and become firmly established as a good tree is firmly established with its roots in the earth while its branches reach to the sky. If he chooses to be from those who seek the way to the Hereafter, and is guided to it, then devotes his energies in science while keeping to piety and forbids himself from lusts by self discipline and struggle; then the doors to guidance will open for him, revealing the true faith by the guidance of the Divine light, which is cast into his heart due to his striving in the cause of Allah, as Allah, the Almighty promised when He said: Those who struggle in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Our ways; and Allah is with those who do good. Koran 29 verse 69 Chapter Three The Book of the Articles Of Faith Regarding the Major Directives to Faith, which we have Explained in Jerusalem, we say: In the Name of Allah, The Merciful, The Most Merciful All praise be to Allah, the One Who distinguishes the people of the Sunnah, by the light of certainty, and preferred those who follow the truth by guiding them toward the pillars of Islam, distanced them from deviation and the misguidance of atheism, enabled them to achieve success in following the example of the Prophet and the footsteps of his honorable Companions, facilitated for them the route of the worthy ancestors until they adhered to a firm support that never gives way so that their hearts believed what they uttered in saying: There is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. They recognized that the two phrases of witnessing of faith, although so brief, contain the proof of the Divinity in Allah, the proof of His attributes, the proof of His commands, and proof that Muhammad was His Messenger. Faith is founded on these four pillars, and each one of them has ten roots: The first pillar is in recognizing the Divinity of Allah, its ten roots are; knowledge of the existence of Allah, His agelessness, that He is Eternal, that He is not corporeal, that He is not mortal, that He is not visible, that He is not limited in His direction, that His Presence is everywhere, that He is All Aware, that He is One. The second pillar is in His Attributes, its ten roots are: knowledge of His being Ever Living, All knowing, All Powerful, Ever Loving, All Hearing, All Seeing, the Best in Speech, Above Causing Accidents, His speech knowledge and will are eternal. The third pillar is in His Deeds, its ten roots are: The deeds of His servants are created for Him, that is of benefit to the servants, it is intended for Allah, that creation and invention are only for Allah, that He does impose any burden on a soul greater than he can bear, that He saves the innocent, that He is not obliged to care for even the righteous, that there is no duty except what He commands, that His sending of Prophets is only a mercy from Him, and that the Prophethood of Muhammad is firmly is firmly established by the miracle of the Koran. The fourth pillar is in things that are derived from hearing, its tens roots are: Evidence of the gathering and dispersement, the questioning by Munkur and Nakir, the torture of the grave, the Balance, the Path, the creation of heaven and earth, the rulership of the Imams, the excellence of the Companions according to their grades, and the conditions of leadership. Chapter Four The Articles of Faith In faith and Islam and what is Between them in likeness and difference, and what leads to their increase or decrease Question: They have differed in saying that Islam is faith or something else, if it is something else, is it separate from it or is it joined to it? Answer: It was claimed that they are one and the same thing. And it was claimed that they are two things, which do not join. And it was claimed that they are two things, but they are joined to one another. We should say: In this there are three researches; research into the meaning of the two words in the language, research into calling them lawful, and the research into their effects in this world and in the Hereafter. The first research is in language, the second is explanatory, and the third is jurisprudence. The first research into language, the truth of it is that faith is to believe. Allah, the Almighty said: but you will not believe us (Koran 12 verse 17) means you will not believe. Islam is about submission and surrender, to heed and to follow. To forgo rebelliousness and arrogance. For believing has a special place in the heart, and the tongue expresses that. As for submission, it is for the heart, tongue and al senses, every belief of the heart is submission and forgoing of rebelliousness and ungratefulness, thus, confirmation by the tongue, thus obedience and control by the senses. According to the language, Islam is more general while faith is specific. The second research is about calling them lawful, it has been used in succession, successively and differently and in interrelation. As for succession, it is in His saying, Glory be to Him: So We brought the believers out of that they were in. But We found in it only one household of those who had surrendered themselves. (Koran 51 verse 35-36) By likeness there was only one house. And Glory be to Him said: O my nation, if you believe in Allah, put your trust in Him, if you have surrendered (Muslims). (Koran 10 verse 84). As to what is different, Allah, the Almighty has said: The Arabs declare: We believe. Say: You do not, rather, say: We submit (Koran 49 verse 14). The meaning of this is that they have submitted externally, but the faith here is what the heart believes, but their declaration of Islam is the external submission by the tongue and the senses. But as for the interrelation it is what is related about the Prophet, when he was asked: What is the best deed? He replied: To believe in Allah and His Messenger. The questioner then asked: What is the best in Islam? He replied: The faith. The Third research is on the lawful rulings. Islam and faith are two rulings, for the Hereafter and the life. As to the Hereafter, it is the extrication from the Fire and the prevention of having to abide there, as the Prophet said: Allah will order those who have faith equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed to be taken out from Hell. The ruling for the life is related to the external of any person, which belongs to others, it is created by circumstances, while the internal belongs to himself and is between himself and Allah, the Almighty. Question: If I say that the ancestors have agreed that the faith increases and decreases, it increases by obedience, and decreases by committing sins. If believing is the faith, can it be imagined that there is in it increase or decrease? I would say that the ancestors are the just witnesses and nobody is more just than they in what they said, whatever they said is the truth, but the matter is in its understanding. There is evidence that deeds are not a part of faith nor of the pillars of its existence, but are added to it as extras, the increase does exist and the decrease exists, and nothing increases by itself, as you cannot say that a person increases on account of having a head, but you can say that he has been increased on account of growing a beard or being fat. Likewise it cannot be said that prayer increases by bowing and prostrating, but it increases by manner and ordinance. This is a declaration that faith exists in different circumstances according to its increase or decrease. The Third Book The Mysteries of Purity Purity has four levels: The first level is purification from ahdath impurity and refuse. The second level is purification of all the senses from sin. The third level is purification of the heart from immorality and odious depravity. The fourth level is purification of the spirit from all others except Allah, the Almighty, it is the purification made by the Prophets and the truthful. Chapter One The Purification from Impurities Examining what is related to that, which is removed, what removes it and the action of removing it Firstly the matter that is removed: Filth. This is of three types, solid, animal and parts of animals. Solid matter is all pure except intoxicants, and anything, which has been brewed or distilled. Animals are all pure except dogs and pigs, and that, which is derived from them. If they are dead they are all impure, except five: the human, fish, locusts, and the worm of the apple, this means that any food whose nature has changed, and types of flies and beetles, etc., which do not contaminate water if it has contact with them. Parts of animals are of two kinds: first what is cut from them, this is classified as dead. Hair does not pollute whether cut off or fallen in death, while bones pollute. The second kind is any liquid matter, which exudes from inside, so whatever is unchanged or has been stored is pure, such as tears, sweat, saliva, sputum. Whatever is stored and changes is impure, except that, which is reproductive material, such as semen and ova. Pus, excrement, and urine are all impure from any kind of animal. The exemption from these impurities, whether great or small, are five: First cleansing by means of a stone after a call of nature, would be sufficient if nothing is passed afterwards. Second is the mud found in the streets and the dust of refuse on the roadways, these are exempt. You should know that if any of these accidentally falls upon your garment then the degree of its impurity is equal to the degree of your attempt to avoid it. The Third is the impure matter, which collects on the soles of your shoes from the roadways, it will be sufficient to rub it off. The Fourth is the blood of fleas whether a great or small amount, except where it is excessive, whether upon your clothes or the clothes of another person, which you wear. The Fifth is the blood of a boil and what comes out from it of pus. Ibn Umar - may Allah be pleased with him - had a boil on his face then he rubbed it so some blood issued from it and he prayed without washing. This means that it is confined to the blood, which is mixed with pus. This also applies to the blood of the menses. The Shariyahs pardoning the people from these five impurities indicates the facilitation it affords us in everything concerning purity. And whatever has been invented in this regard has no foundation. Secondly: What Removes It: These are either solid or liquid. The solid is for example a stone, this is pure because it has been dried, on condition that it should be solid and completely dry. As for liquid the only liquid, which purifies impurity is water, however not all water, but only pure water, which has not been mixed with other impurities. What makes water impure; is when it has been polluted by any filth, and you would know this from its taste, colour or smell. If it has not changed and its amount is equal to two water skins, it is not polluted. The Prophet said: If the water reaches the amount of two water skins it is not polluted. If it is less than that then it is polluted, according to Al Shafii. As to running water, if it is polluted, then only that part of it, which contains the pollutant is impure. Thus water is only impure from where the impurity runs into it, and not before that point. If the flow of the water is stronger than the flow of the impurity, then whatever is above the impurity is pure but what is below it is impure. No matter the amount, except if the two of them are gathered in one container and the amount is less than two water skins. Thirdly the Action of Removing It: If the impurity was something unseen, it will be sufficient to run water all over it. If it was a visible matter then it must be removed. If the taste is unchanged then the matter is still there, if the color remains, except in that, which is attached to it, it is exempted, after you have rubbed and brushed it with your hand. If the smell remains this indicates that the matter is still there and it cannot be exempted, except if the matter has a powerful smell, which cannot be removed. Rubbing and pressing several times continuously, is similar to rubbing and brushing. The only thing, which removes the whispering doubt from your mind is to be aware that all things are created pure, so whatever you do not see of impurity over if, nor do you know of for certain, then you should pray with it without fear. The existence of impurity cannot be guessed at by presumption. Chapter Two The Purity of Ahdath Ablution (al wudu) Ritual Washing of the Whole Body (al ghusl) Dry Ablution (al tayammum) The procedure of Ablution (al wudu) Begin with the siwak. The Prophet said: If it had not been for difficulty I would have made it obligatory for my nation to use the siwak before every prayer. The siwak is preferably used before each prayer, at each ablution and to change the taste of the mouth upon waking or during the fast, or after eating foods, which cause an offensive odor. On finishing with the siwak you should sit down to perform the ablution facing the Qibla, saying In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful. The Prophet said: There is no ablution for anyone who does not begin with In the Name of Allah. This means that there is no complete ablution in the absence of mentioning the Name of Allah at the start. And one should also say: O my Lord, I seek refuge in You from the evil suggestions of the satans. O my Lord, I seek refuge in You lest they attend me. (Koran 23 verses 97-98). Then one should wash the hands three times and say My Lord I seek Your Blessings, then one should rinse the mouth three times and the nose by putting water into the nose three times and blowing the water out each time, then one should wash the face three times, then wash the arms three times until the elbow, then wipe the top of your head three times with water, then was your feet three times until the ankle. You should always start with the right hand and the right foot. When you have finished you should raise your face to heaven and say: I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and I certify that Muhammad is His worshipper and Messenger, all praise be to Allah: There is no god except You: I have committed sin and been unfair to myself, so I beseech Your forgiveness and I turn to You, so please forgive me, relent toward me, You are the All Relenting, the All Merciful, my Lord, make me of those who turn toward you and make me of those who are purified and of those who are righteous. The procedure of Ritual Washing of the Whole Body (al ghusl) One should begin by mentioning the Name of Allah, then wash ones hands three times, then remove from the body all impurities, then one should wash as one would do for prayer (wudu), then wash the whole body under running water from over the head. It is obligatory to perform ghusl after sexual intercourse, and after the menstrual period in women. These are the ordinances of wudu and ghusl for those who seek the path of the Hereafter. The procedure of Dry Ablution (al tayammum) Whoever does not find water because none is available or too far to fetch or if one is prevented from reaching water, or if the amount of water available is needed for his thirsty companions, or the water belongs to another who will not sell any except at an excessive price, or if one is wounded or ill and fearing that the use of water might harm ones ailment, then you may wait until the time of prayer is due and search for some dry clean dust from a high point, and press both palms of your hands onto the dry pure soft dust and rub your two hands together once, then wipe the face once, and utter the intention to perform wudu, then you should press your hands to the dust again and wipe your right arm until the elbow, then the left until the elbow. Then you may pray the obligatory prayer after, which you may perform any voluntary prayer. But if you are going to join two obligatory prayers together, you should perform another dry ablution after the first prayer. Thus each obligatory prayer must have a dry ablution before it. Chapter Three Cleansing Cleansing from Visible Refuse This is two types: Dirt and Parts The first type is dirt and fluid, these are eight: One: What has infested the head such as lice, the cleansing of it is preferable by washing and combing and the application of ointments, and removing the eggs. Two: What has accumulated in the folds of the ears; wiping will remove only what appears of it, but what is inside the ear should be cleaned gently after leaving the bathroom, if it is done too roughly the hearing may be harmed. Three: What has collected in the nose of solids and liquids should be removed by putting water into the nose and cleaning it by expelling the water out. Four: What has built up on the teeth and on the end of the tongue of plaque, should be removed by gargling and by the siwak. Five: What has accumulated in the beard of dirt should be washed and combed. Six: What has accumulated in the folds of the finger joints should be washed. The Arabs used not to wash their hands after food so there was much accumulation of dirt in these areas. For this reason the Prophet commanded them to wash the joints of their fingers. Seven: The cleaning of the fingernails. The Prophet commanded the Arabs to clean their fingernails and to remove what is under them of dirt because it was difficult for them to cut their fingernails, so the Prophet time for them cutting the nails, removing the hair under the arms and shaving the pubic hair every forty days. Eight: The dirt, which accumulates upon the body due to sweating and the dust of the road. A bath or shower will remove it. The Second Type: This is what develops on the body from its parts they are eight. One: the hair of the head, it should be shaved for those who wish to be clean, but there is no blame in leaving it long if you keep it clean and care for it. Two: The hair of the moustache, the Prophet said: Trim the moustache and leave the beard. Three; The hair under arms, it is preferable to pull it out every forty days, this is easy for those who are accustomed to it from the beginning, but as for those who are used to shaving it, it is sufficient to shave, it as the pulling is painful. Four: The nails should be cut because they are ugly if left long, and because dirt gathers under them. Six and Seven: The extra skin of the navel and the extra skin of the male organ. As for the navel it should be cut at birth, but as for circumcision it is the custom of the Jews to perform it on the seventh day after birth, we have been commanded not to do as they do, by delaying it until the child grows his first teeth, this is better and avoids any risk. The Prophet said: Circumcision is an ordinance to men and honorable to women. But it should not be taken to excess in cutting too much in women, the Prophet said to Umm Atiyah while she was performing circumcision: O Umm Atiyah, take little and do not do much, this is more pleasant to the face and preferable to the husband. Eight: What grows in excess of the beard, we have delayed talking about the beard so that we can discuss and differentiate between the Sunnah and what is invention. They have differed in regard to what is excess, so they said if a man can clasp his hand around his beard what appears beneath his hand is excess and should be cut, and thus ibn Umar and others have done. Others have said if you leave it, it is much better according to the saying of the Prophet leave the beard. It is, however, much better to trim the beard and shape it well rather than leaving it long giving an untidy appearance, which prompts the tongues to backbite. The Fourth Book The Mysteries of Prayer Chapter One Merit of the Call to Prayer (Adhan) The Prophet said, On the Day of Resurrection, three people will find themselves on a ridge of black musk. They will have no reckoning to fear, nor any cause for alarm while human accounts are being settled. First, a man who recites the Koran to please Allah, and who leads the prayer to peoples satisfaction. Secondly, a man who makes the call to prayer in a mosque, inviting people to Allah for the sake of His good pleasure. Third, a man who has a hard time making a living in this world, yet is not distracted from the work of the Hereafter. According to other traditions, the Prophet said: All that hear the call of the Muezzin, whether they are Jinn, human or whatever, will testify for him on the Day of Resurrection. And: The hand of the All Merciful is on the Muezzins head until he completes his call to prayer. Commentators say that Allah was referring to Muezzins when He revealed the Koranic verse: And who is better in saying than he who invites to Allah, does what is right and says: Surely, I am of those who surrender. Koran 41 verse 33. XXXXX Stopped checking verse translation at this point. The Prophet also said: When you hear the call, repeat what the Muezzin says. This is the recommended practice, except that on hearing the two sentences beginning come to one should say: There is neither power nor strength except in Allah. The response to prayer has begun is: May Allah establish it and preserve it as long as the heavens and earth endure. At dawn, the call includes the sentence: prayer is better than sleep to, which we respond with: You have spoken truly and veraciously and given good advice. When the call to prayer is over, one says: O Allah, Lord of this perfect invitation and firmly established prayer, endow Muhammad with favor, merit and exalted rank. Raise him to the glorious position You have promised him. You do not break Your promise. Said ibn al-Musayyab said: If a person performs prayer in a wilderness, an angel prays on his right and an angel prays on his left. If he also gives the call to prayer and the signal to begin, angels perform prayer behind him in rows like mountain ranges. Merit of the Prescribed Prayers at Set Times (Salat) Allah, High Exalted has told us in the Koran: indeed prayer is a timed ordinance for the believers. (Koran 4 verse 103) The Prophet said: There are five prayers, which Allah has prescribed for His servants. For those who perform them, properly, without disrespectful omissions, there is a guarantee that Allah will admit them to Paradise. To those who do not observe them, however, Allah offers no such guarantee; He may punish them or He may admit them to Paradise, as He pleases. The Prophet also said: The five set prayers may be compared to a stream of fresh water, flowing in front of your house, into, which you plunge five times each day. Do you think that would leave any dirt on your body? When they answered: None at all! The Prophet said: Indeed, the five prayers remove sins, just as water removes dirt. Other sayings of the Prophet: The five set prayers are an expiation, for there is something amongst them by, which major sins are repelled. And: What distinguishes us from the hypocrites is our attendance at late night and early morning prayers, both of, which they miss. If a man meets Allah when he has been negligent of the prayer, Allah will pay not attention to his other virtues. Prayer is the pillar of religion; to neglect it is to prepare the downfall of religion. Prayer at the appointed times. (In answer to the question which action is the most meritorious. If a man performs the five prayers, in a proper state of purity and at the times prescribed, they will be a light and a proof for him on the Day of Resurrection. But he who misses them will be resurrected alongside Pharaoh and Hamam. The key to Paradise is ritual prayer. After the affirmation of HisOneness, no duty Allah has imposed on His creatures is dearer to Him than ritual prayer. Had anything been dearer to Him than this, it would have become a form of worship for His angels. As it is (each of them performs part of the prayer) some bowing, some prostrating themselves, some standing upright and some sitting on their heels. Anyone who deliberately misses a prayer has forsaken his faith. That is to say, he has virtually been stripped of faith, since its knot has been untied and its pillar has fallen. The (Arabic verb meaning) has forsaken is used idiomatically, much as one might say that a man has arrived when he is very near his destination. If someone deliberately omits a prayer, he ceases to enjoy the protective custody of Muhammad, peace be upon him. Abou Hurayra, said: If someone makes his ablution and does it well, then sets out with the intention of performing the prayer, he is already in the state of prayer while on his way to it. With each two steps he takes, a good deed is added to his record and a bad deed is erased from it. So do not linger when you hear the signal that the prayer is beginning, for the one who is farthest from home will get the greatest reward. They asked: Why is that, Abou Hurayra? and he said: Because of all the steps he had to take. According to Tradition: Of all a mans actions, the first to be examined on the Day of Resurrection will be the prayer. If it is found to be complete, it will be accepted of him along with the rest of the works, but if it is found wanting it will be rejected along with the rest of his deeds. The Prophet said: About Hurayra, command your family to perform prayer, for Allah will provide you with blessings too numerous to reckon. A scholar once said: One who performs prayer is like a merchant, who does not start making a profit until he has recovered all his capital. In a similar way, one who performs prayer gets no credit for superogatory devotions until he has discharged his basic obligations. Abou Bakr used to say: When it is time for prayer, get up and extinguish the Hellfire you have kindled for yourselves. Merit of Correct Performance (Tadil) The Prophet said: The prescribed prayer is like a pair of scales, whoever gives full measure will also receive in full. Yazid al Riqashi said: The prayer of the Messenger of Allah was as even as if it had been perfectly balanced. Traditions of the Prophet: Two members of my Community may perform the prayer in such a way that their bowing and their prostration are as one, yet their prayers may be as far apart as heaven and earth. (that is in respect to their humility) Allah will have no regard, on the Day of Resurrection, for that servant of His who does not straighten his spine between bowing and making prostration. Is he not afraid; he who turns his face around in the prayer, that Allah may turn his face into that of a donkey? If someone performs his prayer at the proper time, makes his ablution correctly, does the bowing and prostration properly and observes due humility, that prayer will rise up, all bright and shining and will say: May Allah take care of you as you have taken care of me! But if someone performs his prayer at the wrong time, without correct ablution, not bowing and prostrating properly and not observing due humility, his prayer will rise up all dark and gloomy saying: May Allah neglect you as you have neglected me. Then when it has reached wherever Allah wishes, it will be folded up like an old rag and he will be slapped with it in the face. Merit of Congregational Prayer (Jamaa) The Prophet said: The merit of congregational prayer surpasses that of individual prayer by twenty seven degrees. According to Abou Hurayra, the Prophet once noticed that certain people were missing from the assembly. He said: I considered appointing someone else to lead the prayer, while I went to show my disapproval of those absentees by burning down their houses. According to another version, he added: Any one of them would have joined the assembly if he had expected to get a marrowbone or a couple of knuckles. According to Uthman, the Prophet said; To perform the late evening prayer (Isha) in the assembly is equivalent to spending half the night in vigil, while to perform the dawn prayer (fajr) in the assembly is like keeping vigil throughout the night. The Prophet also said: To perform the prayer in congregation is to fill ones throat with worship. Saad ibn al Musayyab said: In all of twenty years, the call to prayer has always found me in the mosque. Muhammad ibn Wasi said; Only three things do I wish for in this world; a brother to set me straight if I go crooked; a livelihood for, which I do not have to beg; and a congregational prayer in, which I am relieved of absent mindedness and, which is recorded in my favor. Hatim al Asamm said: I was once too late for congregational prayer and Abou Ishaq al Bukhari was the only one to commiserate with me. Had I lost a son, more than ten thousand would have offered me their condolences, for people find religious misfortune easier to bear than worldly calamity. Ibn Abbas said: If a man hears the crier (Muezzin) and does not respond, he does not wish for good and no good is to be expected of him. About Hurayra said: Better for a human being to have his ear filled with molten lead than to hear the call and fail to respond. It is related that Maymun ibn Mihran once came to the mosque, only to be told that the people had all left. He quoted from the Koran: Surely we belong to Allah and to Him is our return. Then he said; Truly the value of this prayer is dearer to me than the governorship of Iraq. The Prophet said: If a man performs his prayers in congregation for forty days, never arriving after the Allahu Akbar! of consecration, Allah will grant him two absolutions, absolution from hypocrisy and absolution from Hellfire. It is said that on the Day of Resurrection a group of people will be assembled, their faces shining like stars. The angels will ask them: How did you conduct yourselves in life? To this they will reply: On hearing the call to prayer, we used to set about our ablutions, letting nothing distract us. Another group will then be assembled, their faces like radiant moons. In answer to the same question they will say: We used to make our ablutions ahead of time. The next group to be assembled will have faces like the sun, they will say: We used to hear the call to prayer inside the mosque. It is related that early believers used to commiserate with themselves for three days if they missed the first Allahu Akbar and for a whole week if they missed the congregational prayer altogether. Merit of Prostration (Sujud) The Messenger of Allah said: The servant has no better means of approaching Allah than prostration in private. Also: Whenever a Muslim performs a prostration for the sake of Allah, Allah raises him one degree and absolves him of one offence. It is related that a man once said to the Messenger of Allah: Pray to Allah that He may include me among those who enjoy your intercession, and that He may grant me your company in Paradise. The Prophet replied: Help me by making frequent prostration. According to another tradition: The servant is never closer to Allah than when he is prostrating himself in worship. This is the meaning of the words of Allah: but prostrate, and draw closer to your Lord. (Koran 96 verse 19) And: Their marks of their prostration are on their faces. (Koran 48 verse 29) Some say this refers to the dust that sticks to the brow during the act of prostration, while others say it is the light of humility, shining forth from within. The latter view is more correct. According to yet others, it is the radiance that will shine on their faces on the Day of Resurrection, as a result of their ablution. The Prophet said: If a human being prostrates himself at an appropriate point in his recitation of the Koran, the devil withdraws, weeping as he says: Alas! This man was bidden to prostrate himself and he obeyed, so Paradise is his. I was also commanded to make prostration, but I disobeyed and so Hell is my lot. It is told of Ali ibn Abd Allah ibn Abbas that he used to make a thousand prostrations every day. They used to call him the Great Prostrator (al-sajjad). It is related that Umar ibn Abd al Aziz never prostrated himself on anything but the bare earth. Yusuf ibn Asbat used to say: Young men, take advantage of your good health, before you become infirm, for I no longer envy anybody except a man who completes his bowing and prostration in prayer, now that my own time is too short for that. Said ibn Jubayr said: I look to nothing in this world for consolation except to prostration in prayer. Uqba ibn Muslim said: No quality in a man is dearer to Allah than the longing to meet Him. At no moment is a man closer to Allah than when he sinks down in prostration. About Hurayra said: The servant is nearest to Allah when he prostrates himself in prayer, so that is the time to make many supplications. Chapter Two States at Each Stage of the Ritual Prayer The Call to Prayer When you hear the call to prayer given by the Muezzin, let yourself perceive the terror of the Summons on the Day of Resurrection. Prepare yourself inwardly and outwardly to respond, and to do so promptly. Those who are prompt in answering this call are the ones who will be summoned gently on the Day of the Great Review. So review your hearts now; if you find it full of joy and happiness, eager to respond with alacrity, you can expect the Summons to bring you good news and salvation on the Day of Judgment. That is why the Prophet used to say: Comfort us, Bilal! For Bilal was the Muezzin and prayer was the joy and comfort of the Messenger. Ritual Purity When attending to ritual purity in the things that envelop you, do so progressively; your room, then your clothes, then your skin, do not neglect your inner being, which lies at the heart of all these. Endeavor to purify it with repentance and remorse for your excesses, and a determined resolution not to commit them in future. Cleanse your inner being in this way, for that is the place to be examined by the One you worship. Covering Private Parts You cover the private parts; i.e. prevent certain areas of the body from being exposed to human view. But what about the shameful areas of your inner being, those unworthy secrets of your soul, that are scrutinized only by Allah, the Almighty. Be conscious of these faults. Be discreet about them, but realize that nothing can be hidden from the sight of Allah, High Exalted. Only through repentance, shame and fear will they be forgiven. Facing The Qibla As for facing the Qibla, in doing so, you turn your external face away from all other directions and toward the House of Allah, High Exalted. Do you then suppose you are not also required to turn your heart away from everything else, directing it towards Allah, the Almighty? What an absurd notion, since this is the whole object of the exercise! The Prophet said: When a man stands up to pray, directing his desire, his face and his heart towards Allah, he will come out of that prayer as on the day his mother gave him birth. Standing Upright As for standing upright, it means holding oneself erect in body and in spirit in the presence of Allah. Your head, which is the highest member of your body, out to be bowed down as a reminder of the need to keep the heart meek and humble, free of arrogance and pride. Intention When forming the intention, resolve to be responsive to Allah by performing the prayer in obedience to His command, by doing it properly, by avoiding things that invalidate or mar it, and by doing all this sincerely for the sake of Allah, in hope of His reward and in fear of His punishment, seeking His grace and favor by His leave. Takbir As for the Takbir (the words: Allahu Akbar), your heart must not gainsay the words on your tongue. If you feel in your heart that there is something greater than Allah High Exalted, though your words are true, Allah will attest that you are a liar. Opening Invocations When making the opening invocation be very wary of distinguished polytheism in yourself. It was concerning those who worship for the sake of human as well as Divine approval that Allah revealed in the Koran: whoever seeks to meet his Lord, then let him do righteous deeds, and never associate any other in worship with his Lord (Koran 18 verse 110) When you say: I take refuge in Allah from accursed Satan, you should be aware the devil is your enemy and that he is waiting for an opportunity to alienate you from Allah. Satan is envious of your ability to commune with Allah, and to prostrate yourself before Him. Reciting the Koran Where recitation of the Koran is concerned, we can distinguish three types of people: (a) those who move their tongues unconsciously, (b) those who pay conscious attention to the movement of the tongue, understanding the meaning while listening as if to a person outside themselves; this is the degree of those on the right, (c) those who start from awareness of the meaning, then use the tongue to give expression to this inner consciousness. The tongue may act as interpreter for the inner feeling, or as its teacher. In the case of those nearest to Allah, the tongue is an interpreter. Bowing Down According to Ikrimah, Allah is referring to the postures of standing, bowing, prostration and sitting when he says: The One Who sees you when you stand in prayer, *And when you pray among those who prostrate. (Koran 26 verse 218-219) Bowing (ruku) and prostration (sujud) are accompanied by a renewed affirmation of the supreme great of Allah. In bowing you renew your submissiveness and humility, striving to refine your inner feeling through a fresh awareness of your own impotence and insignificance before the might and grandeur of your Lord. To confirm this, you seek the aid of your tongue, glorifying Allah and testifying repeatedly to His Supreme Majesty, both outwardly and inwardly. Then you rise from bowing, hopeful that He will be merciful towards you. To emphasize this hope within you, you say: Allah hears those who give thanks to Him. Acknowledging the need to express gratitude, you immediately add: Grateful praise to You our Lord! To show the abundance of this gratitude, you may also say: As much as the heavens and earth contain. Prostration Then you go down in prostration. This is the highest level of submission, for you are bringing the most precious part of your body, namely your face, down to meet the most lowly of all things, the dust of the earth. If possible, you should make your prostration directly on bare ground, this being more conducive to humility and a sure sign of self abasement. When you place yourself in this position of lowliness, you should be aware that you belong there. You are restoring the branch to its root, for of dust you were created and to dust you shall return. At the same time you should renew your inner awareness of the Majesty of Allah, saying: Glory to my Lord Most High! Repeat this to add confirmation, for saying it only once is not sufficiently emphatic. When your inner feeling has clearly been refine, be confident in hoping for the mercy of Allah. For His mercy quickly flows towards weakness and lowliness, not towards arrogance and vanity. As you raise your head, say Allahu Akbar! and ask for what you need, making the supplication of your choice, e.g. My Lord, forgive and have mercy! Overlook my faults of, which You are aware! You then make a second prostration, reinforcing your submissiveness. Sitting and Testifying When you sit to make the testimony (tashahhud), sit decorously. Declare that all the prayers and good works you perform are for the sake of Allah, and everything belongs to Him. Such is the meaning of al-tahiyyat. Be inwardly aware of the Prophet, and on his noble person, as you say: Peace be upon you, O Prophet, as well as the Mercy of Allah and Blessing. Be sure that your salutation will reach him, and that he will return an even more perfect greeting to you. Then salute yourself and all righteous worshipers of Allah. Then testify to the Oneness of Allah, High Exalted, and to the mission of Muhammad, His Messenger, on him be peace and prayers. By repeating this two-fold testimony, you reaffirm the covenant of Allah, and assure yourself of its protection. End of Supplication At the end of your ritual prayer, you should offer a traditional supplication, imploring and entreating with meekness and humility, confidently hoping to be heard. Let your supplication include your parent and the other believers. Salutation Finally, and with the intention of concluding your prayer, address your salutation (salam) to the angels and the others present. Feel a sense of gratitude to Allah, High Exalted, for having enabled you to complete this act of worship. Imagine that you are saying farewell to this prayer of yours, and that you may not live to see another like it. States Conducive to Perfecting The Life in Prayer These qualities can be expressed in many ways, but they are well summed up in six words, namely: awareness; understanding; reverence; awe; hope; shame. Awareness By conscious awareness we mean that state in, which ones mind and feelings are in no way distracted from what one is doing and saying. Perception is united with action and speech. Thoughts do not wander. When the mind remains attentive to what one is doing, when one is wholeheartedly involved, and when nothings makes one heedless, that is when one has achieved conscious awareness. Understanding Understanding the meaning of ones words is something that goes beyond awareness, for one may be conscious of making an utterance, yet not be aware of the meaning of that utterance. What we mean by understanding, therefore, is an awareness that also includes comprehension of the meaning of ones utterance. People differ in this respect, not sharing a common understanding of the Koran and the glorifications. How many subtleties of meaning we have come to understand in the course of ritual prayer! Things that had never occurred to us before. It is in this context that prayer becomes a deterrent to indecency and mischief, for the understanding it brings is a positive obstacle to vice. Reverence As for reverence, this is something beyond both awareness and understanding. A man may address his servant in full awareness of his speech, and understanding the meaning of his words, yet without reverence, for reverence is an additional element. Awe As for awe, it is over and above reverence. In fact, it represents a kind of fear that grows out of the latter. Without experiencing fear, one will not stand in awe. There is an ordinary fear of things we find repugnant, like scorpions or bad temper, but this is not called awe. What we call awe is the kind of fear we have of a mighty king. Awe is the kind of fear induced by a sense of majesty. Hope As for hope, this is unquestionably something else again. There are many who revere some king or other, and who are in awe of him or afraid of his power, yet do not hope to be rewarded by him. In our prayers, however, we must hope for the reward of Allah, High Exalted; just as we fear His punishment for our faults. Shame As for shame, it is something additional to all the rest, for it is based on the realization of ones deficiencies and the apprehension of sin. It is quite possible to conceive of reverence, fear and hope, without this element of shame. Chapter Three Internal Prerequisites of Prayer: Actions of the Heart The Need for Humility and Conscious Awareness Many Koranic Verses and Traditions could be cited in evidence of this, including the words of Allah, the Almighty: and establish prayer for My Remembrance (Koran 20 verse 14) The obvious force of the imperative is to make something obligatory. Since heedlessness is the opposite of remembrance, how can someone who is heedless throughout his prayer be performing it in remembrance of Allah? The Almighty warns us in the Koran. do not be of those who are heedless. (Koran 7 verse 205) Here we have taken a negative imperative, with the obvious force of a prohibition. Allah High Exalted also says: until you can understand all that you say, (Koran 4 verse 43) This explained the reason for debarring those who are intoxicated from the mosque, but the term intoxicated applies be extension to those who are wholly preoccupied with temptations and worldly thoughts. When the Prophet said: The prayer is nothing but submissiveness and humility he used a particularly definite and emphatic construction in Arabic. The Prophet said: If a mans prayer does not deter him from indecency and mischief, he gains nothing from Allah but remoteness. Heedless prayer does nothing to deter a man from these vices. The heedless are alluded to in the Tradition: Many of those who pray derive nothing from their prayers except weariness and strain. The Prophet said: A man gets credit only for that part of his prayer of, which he is conscious. This is confirmed by the Tradition: When performing the prayer, one is conversing intimately with ones Lord. Speaking in a state of heedlessness is certainly not what is meant by intimate conversation with Allah, the Almighty. To Clarify matters further, let us consider the contrast between ritual prayer, on the one hand, and Zakat, fasting and pilgrimage on the other. A man may pay his Alms without being consciously attentive, yet the very act of parting with money runs counter to greed and is hard on the lower self. The case of fasting is similar; since it subdues the natural forces and breaks hold of the passions, which are the tools of satan, the enemy of Allah, its purpose may well be achieved in spite of heedlessness. As for Pilgrimage, it presents physical hardship and difficulty and involves painful struggle, whether or not its actions are performed in full awareness. In contrast to these other religious duties, ritual prayer consists only in remembrance, recitation, bowing, prostration, standing erect and sitting down. As for remembrance, it is proximity to Allah and communion with Him. If its purpose is not conversation and dialogue, it must be a verbal and vocal exercise, set to test the tongue in the same way as the belly and the genitals are tested by abstinence during the fast, as the body is tested by the ordeals of Pilgrimage, or as one is tested by having to part with beloved money on paying the Alms. Without a doubt, this latter supposition must be wrong, for nothing comes more easily to the heedless than idle tongue wagging. It cannot, therefore, be a simple physical exercise. The sounds produced are significant only when they form articulate speech. Articulate speech must be expressive of what is in the heart and mind, and this is not possible without conscious awareness. What is the point of praying: Guide us to the Righteous Way, if one is in a state of absentmindedness? If it is not intended as a humble entreaty and supplication, why bother with the idle mouthing of the words, especially if it has become a habit? The purpose of Koranic recitation and expression of remembrance (at various stages in the ritual prayer) is undoubtedly praise and glorification, supplication and entreaty, addressed to Allah, the Almighty. But the veil of heedlessness screen the heart from Him. Far from seeing or witnessing Him, the heedless worshiper is not even aware of Whom he is addressing, as his tongue moves purely from force of habit. How remote this is from the purpose of ritual prayer, which was prescribed for the refinement of the heart, the renewal of Divine remembrance, and to secure the knot of faith! We have been discussing the case of recitation and remembrance, but our strictures in this matter are by no means relevant only to the spoken elements in ritual prayer, as distinct from the physical postures. As for bowing and prostrations, their purpose is definitely veneration. While one could be venerating Allah, through ones action, although unaware of Him, one might just as well be unconsciously venerating an idol set before one, or even the wall in front. It then ceases to be an act of veneration and is reduced to mere movement of the back and head, devoid of any hardship that might make it a real test. Ritual prayer has been made the chief pillar of religion, the criterion for distinguishing between unbelief and Islam. It takes precedence over Pilgrimage and other forms of worship. It is unique in having capital punishment as the penalty for its abandonment. I do not believe that ritual prayer enjoys all this special dignity by virtue of its external motions, unless these are linked to the purpose of intimate communion with Allah. That is what has priority over Fasting, Zakat, Pilgrimage and so on; indeed, over sacrifices and offerings, which entail self-denial through financial outlay. As Allah High Exalted says: It is not their flesh that reaches Allah, nor their blood, but that, which reaches Allah is your piety (Koran 22 verse 37) What is meant here by devotion is a quality that gains control over the heart, disposing it to comply with the commands it is required to obey. What, then, of the ritual prayer, if its actions are without purpose? You may say that I am going against the consensus of the jurists, if I make the validity of prayer dependent on conscious awareness, since they stipulate such attention only at the initial Allahu Akbar. But the jurists do not concern themselves with the inner life or the way of the Hereafter. Their job is to formulate the outer rules of religion, with reference to external physical behaviour. As for what is beneficial to the afterlife, this is beyond the scope of jurisprudence, since no consensus can be claimed. Sufyan al-Thawri, an early legal scholar, is reported as saying: Without humility and awareness, ones prayer is invalid. It is related that al-Hasan said: Any prayer performed without conscious awareness is a short cut to punishment. According to Muadh ibn Jabal: A man gets no credit for a prayer in, which he deliberately notices those on his right and left. According to an authenticated Tradition, the Messenger of Allah said: Though he performs the whole prayer, a man may be credit with no more than one sixth or one tenth of it. A man gets credit only for that part of his prayer of, which he is conscious. If this had been transmitted on lesser authority, it would surely have become a dogma, so why should it not be taken seriously? Abd al-Wahid ibn Zayd said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that a man gets credit only for that part of his prayers of, which he is conscious. According to him, there is actually a consensus to this effect. In short, conscious awareness is the very spirit of ritual prayer. Attentiveness to the initial Allahu Akbar represents the bare minimum required to keep the spark of this spirit alive; of Allah we beg His gracious support! Medication Conducive To Inner Serenity As a believer, one must magnify Allah High Exalted, in fear and in hope and in humble awareness of ones shortcomings. There can be no relaxation in any of this once faith has been achieved, although ones intensity will depend on the strength of ones conviction. Any slackness in prayer is surely caused by mental distraction, divided attention, failure to be whole hearted in communion, and a heedless attitude to worship. Random mental activity is the thing that distracts us from prayer; it must therefore be dispelled so that a feeling of serenity can be acquired. To remove the symptom we must treat the cause, so let us find out where it lies. Stray thoughts may be prompted by something external, or they may arise from within. As for external causes, our attention is caught by anything that happens to engage our eyes or ears. We begin to take an interest in it. Then one thought leads to another and the process goes on and on. Seeing gives rise to thinking, then one thought becomes the cause of another. Sensory impressions do not divert those who intention is strong and whose aspiration is lofty, but they inevitably distract the weak. The remedy lies in cutting off these causes by lowering the eyes, praying in a room, leaving no distracting objects in front of one, or reducing ones range of vision by praying close up to a wall. One should avoid performing the prayer on the street, in places where there is artificial decoration and on coloured carpets. That is why very devout people used to worship in a small dark cell, where there was just enough room for prostration, for it is easier to concentrate in such conditions. Those who were strong would attend the mosques, keeping their eyes downcast and confining their gaze to the place of prostration. They considered their prayers to be perfect when they were unaware of the people to their right and left. Ibn Umar would allow no object to remain in the place of prayer, not even a copy of the Koran. He would remove any sword he found there and erase any writing. Internal causes pose a more serious problem. Ones worldly concerns may be many and varied, so that the mind does not dwell on a single subject but keeps flying from one direction to another. To lower the eyes is then to no avail, for plenty of distractions have already got inside. The way to deal with this is to make a deliberate effort to comprehend the meaning of the words one is reciting in the prayer, concentrating on this to the exclusion of everything else. It is helpful to prepare for this before the initial consecration, by reminding oneself of the Hereafter and that one is standing in communion in the awesome presence of Allah, the Almighty, and under His scrutiny. Before consecration for prayer, one should empty the heart of all its cares, leaving oneself free of potential distractions. The Messenger of Allah once said to Uthman ibn Abi Shayba: I forgot to tell you to cover up the cooking pots that are in the house, for there should be nothing in the house to distract people from their prayers. This is a technique for quieting the mind. If mental agitation is not stilled by this tranquilizer, the only recourse is a putative that will strike at the roots of the sickness. That is to say, one must examine the distractions that prevent the attainment of inner serenity. These will undoubtedly be traced to ones pressing concerns, which have become so important simply because of ones base desires. One must therefore discipline the lower self by abstaining from those desires and by severing those ties. Anything that distracts us from prayer is the adversary of our religion; the army of Satan is the foe. To hold it in check is more troublesome than driving it out, so let us drive it out and be rid of it. The Prophet once prayed while wearing a cloak with an ornamented border, a gift from Abou Jahm. He removed it when he had finished his prayers, saying: Take it back to Abou Jahm, for it distracted me from my prayer. Bring me Abou Jahms cloak of course wool. The Messenger of Allah Once had new laces put in his sandals. When their newness attracted his attention during the prayer, he had them removed and the worn laces put back. According to another Tradition the Prophet once found himself admiring the beauty of a pair of sandals he was wearing, so he made a prostration and said: I have humbled myself before my Lord, so that He will not be displeased with me. Then he went out and gave the sandals to the first beggar he met. He then told Ali to buy a worn pair of tanned leather sandals, which he put on his feet. Before it was declared unlawful for men to wear gold, the Prophet used to wear a gold ring on his finger. As he stood in the pulpit one day, he threw this ring away, saying: It distracted me, a glance towards it and a glance towards you. It is related that Abou Talha once prayed in his garden where there were trees. He was attracted by the sight of a honey bird and he spent so long following its movements as it flew about seeking an opening in the foliage, that he forgot how many cycles of prayer he had completed. He told the Messenger of Allah about the temptation to, which he had succumbed, then said: O Messenger of Allah I offer my garden as a charity. Dispose of it as you wish. According to a different source, he was distracted by the pleasant sight of the bees, buzzing round the fruit as he prayed in the garden. He mentioned this to Uthman, saying: I offer it as a charity. Use it for the sake of Allah. Uthman then sold the garden for fifty thousand. Such conduct was intended to eradicate cause of mental distraction and to atone for deficiencies in prayer. This medicine tackles the root of the disease; it is the only effective remedy. As for the gentler measure we proposed, such as calming oneself and concentrating on understanding the words used in prayer, they may be useful when passions are feeble and cares are only marginally distracting. But it is useless to try and calm oneself when the pressure of desire is strong, for it will attract you and you will attract it until it gets the better of you. You will be cause up in this process throughout your prayer. Consider this analogy: There was a man beneath a tree. He wished to collect his thoughts, but the sparrows disturbed him with their chirping. He would chase them with a stick and then resume his train of thought, but the sparrows would come back and he would have to scare them away with the stick once again. Eventually someone told him: This is like being a slave at the wheel, going round and round forever. If you want to escape the vicious circle, you should fell the tree. So it is with the tree of base desire. Thoughts are attracted to its ramifying twigs and branches, just like sparrows to real trees. Flies are attracted by filth and chasing them becomes a full time occupation, for they just keep coming back. Random thoughts are like flies. Our base desires are numerous and human beings are seldom free of them. They all share a common root, namely, love of this world. That is the origin of every fault, the basis of every shortcoming, the source of all corruption. Filled with the love of this world, a person becomes so attached to it that he fails to make provision for the Hereafter. He then has no hope of experiencing the pure bliss of communion in prayer. Those who delight in this world can take no delight in Allah, nor in communion with Him. A man aspires to that, which gives him joy, so if his pleasure lies in this world, he will surely seek it there. Nevertheless, one must continue to strive, turning the heart back towards prayer and reducing the causes of distraction. This is bitter medicine, so bitter that we instinctively recoil from taking it. The sickness remains chronic and the disease becomes incurable. Great men have endeavored to perform two cycles of prayer without having any internal conversation about worldly matters, only to find themselves unequal to the task. No hope, then, for the likes of us! If only we may be safe from temptation during half of our prayer, or one third, so that our deeds are at least a mixture of good and bad. In short, the worldly and spiritual aspirations in the human heart are like water poured into a cup full of vinegar; as water goes in, an equal volume of vinegar inevitably goes out and the two can never combine. Chapter Four Stores of the Humble, (May Allah be Pleased with Them, and their Prayers) It should be known that humility is the product of faith and the result of conviction, brought about by the majestic power of Allah, the Almighty. Those blessed with it are humble not only in their prayers, but at other times also, even when they are on their own or when they need to use the toilet. For humanity is caused by the awareness that we are always in the sight of Allah, by awareness of His majesty and by awareness of our human failings. It is by consciousness of these things that humanity is engendered, so it is not confined to ritual prayers. There was once a man, we are told, who never held his head up to the sky in all of forty years; so great was his modesty and humility before Allah, the Almighty. Some people assumed that al-Rabi ibn Khaytham must have kept his eyes half closed. For twenty years he was a regular visitor to the home fo Ibn Masud. When the latters maidservant saw him, she would say to her master: Your blind friend is here. Ibn Masud used to laugh when she said this. Whenever she went to answer the guests knock at the door, she would see him with his head down and his eyes averted, Ibn Masud would look at him and say, quoting from the Koran: And give glad tidings to those who are humble (Koran 22 verse 34) Then he would add: By Allah, if the Prophet had seen you he would have been so pleased with you. (In another version of this story the wording is he would have loved you, and in another: he would have laughed.) One day, he was walking with Ibn Masud when they passed the blacksmiths workshop he fell in a faint at the sight of the bellows and the fire blazing in the furnace. Ibn Masud sat with him till the time of prayer, but he did not come round. He then carried him home, where he remained unconscious till twenty four hours after having fainted, so missing all five prayers. Ibn Masud stayed close by him, saying: By Allah, this is real fear! Al-Rabi used to say: When engaged in prayer, I never pay attention to anything, except what I am saying and what is being said to me. Amir ibn Abd Allah was one of those who are humble in their prayers. He would sometimes pray while his daughter was playing the tambourine and women of the house were chattering freely, but he was quite insensitive to the noise and did not even hear it. They once asked him: Does anything come into your mind during the prayer? Yes, he said, the thought that I am standing in the presence of Allah, the Almighty, and that I am bound for Paradise or for Hell. He was then asked: Do you get any worldly thoughts, as we do? To this he replied: I would rather be made a butt for lances than get that sort of thing in my prayer. He was also in the habit of saying: Even if the veil was lifted from the unseen, my faith could not be more certain than it is now. Another of these characters was Muslim ibn Yasar, the one who did not notice the collapse of a column while he was praying in the mosque. One of these men had a gangrenous limb. Amputation was necessary, but it seemed impossible until someone said: He will not feel anything while he is at prayer. The operation was in fact successfully performed during the prayer. Someone said: Prayer belongs to the Hereafter, to enter it is to leave this world. Another was asked if he had any worldly thoughts during his prayers. Neither in my prayers nor at any other time. He said. Yet another was asked: Do you remember anything during the prayer? He replied: Is anything dearer to me than the prayer, that I should recall it while I am praying? Abul Darda used to say; The sensible thing is to attend to ones needs first, so as to have nothing on ones mind when approaching the prayer. Some of them would keep their prayers short, fearing the whisperings of the devil. We are told that, on a certain occasion, Ammar ibn Yasir finished his prayer rather quickly. When someone commented on this, he said: Did you see me skip any of the essentials? The answer was; No! He then explained: I was forestalling the distraction of Satan. The Messenger of Allah said: Though a man performs the whole prayer, he may get credit for half of it, or a third, a quarter, a fifth, a sixth or a tenth. A man gets credit only for that part of his prayer of, which he is conscious. It is said that Talha and al-Zubayr were among a group of Companions who were particularly noted for keeping their prayers brief. They explained that they followed this practice in order to forestall the whisperings of Satan. It is related that Umar ibn al-Khattab said from the pulpit: A mans whiskers may turn gray in Islam, without his having completed on prayer for Allah, the Almighty. When the people asked him how this could be, he said: Because he never achieves perfect humility, submissiveness and devotion to Allah in any of his prayers. Abul Aliya was once asked about the words of Allah: But are heedless of their prayers. (Koran 107 verse 5) He said; This refers to those who are heedless in their prayers that they do not know whether they have performed an even number of cycles or an odd one. According to al-Hasan, it refers to those who heedlessly let the time from prayer slip by. Others say: This is directed at those who are neither happy when they pray on time, nor sorry when they are late in praying. They see no virtue in promptness and no sin in delay. Jesus said: Allah, the Almighty says: Through supererogatory devotions My servant draws close to Me. The Prophet said: Allah, the Almighty says: My servant does not achieve salvation except by fulfilling the duties I have set him. It is related that the Prophet once omitted a verse from the part of the Koran he recited in the course of a ritual prayer. As he was turning to leave, he said: What did I recite? Nobody spoke, so he repeated the question to Ubay ibn Kab who said: You recited such and such a Surah, omitting a particular verse. We are wondering whether it has been abrogated or taken out. The Prophet said: Good for you Ubayy! Then he turned to the others and said: What are we to make of people who come for their prayers, line up in their rows behind their Prophet, but do not know what he is reciting to them from the Book of their Lord? That is just how the Children of Israel behaved, so Allah, the Almighty spoke to their Prophet through inspiration saying: tell your people: You present your bodies before Me and you offer Me you tongues, but you keep your hearts from Me. What you are doing is futile. These stories and Traditions help to prove the fundamental elements in ritual prayer and humility and conscious awareness, and that merely going through the motions, in a state of heedlessness, has little value for the life hereafter, Allah knows best. We pray for His gracious help and guidance. The Fifth Book The Mysteries of Almsgiving Zakat Chapter One Allah, the Almighty has made Zakat, (Almsgiving) one of the pillars of Islam and has usually mentioned it immediately after the prayer saying: And establish prayer and pay alms and bow down in the company of others bowing down. (Koran 2 verse 43). The Prophet said: Islam rests on five things: To certify that there is no god except Allah, and that Muhammad is His worshipper and Messenger, to establish prayer, to give alms Allah, the Almighty has warned those who do not give Zakat with dire consequences, for He says: those who hoard up gold and silver, and do not expend it in the cause of Allah, announce to them a painful chastisement. (Koran verse 34) Certain inward attitudes and duties are incumbent on those who seek, through payment of the alms, the way that leads to the Hereafter. Understand the Purpose and Significance To understand the necessity and significance of paying the alms, how it represents a test of character, and why it has been made one of the fundamentals of Islam, even though it is a financial transaction and not a physical act of worship. Three points deserve consideration here: Testing the Degree of Love for Allah To pronounce the tow sentences of the Confession of Faith (Shahada) There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is obligatory as affirmation of the DivineOneness and testimony to the singleness on the One to Whom all worship is due. Complete fulfillment of this obligation requires that he who affirms the DivineOneness should direct his love to none but the One, the Unique, for love tolerates no partnership. There is little value in mere verbal affirmation. The degree of love is tested only by separating the lover from other worldly things he loves. Now, worldly goods are an object of love in everybodys eyes, being the means by, which they enjoy the benefits of this world; because of them they become attached to life and shy away from death, even though death leads to meeting the Beloved. The truth of our claim to love Allah is therefore put to the test, and we are asked to give up the wealth, which is the darling apple of our eye. That is why Allah, the Almighty said: Indeed! Allah has bought from the believers their lives and their wealth, that they shall have the Gardens. (Koran 9 verse 111) This concerns Jihad, the struggle in the way of Allah, which entails a readiness to sacrifice even life itself in longing to meet Allah, the Almighty. The renunciation of wealth is trivial by comparison. Once this concept of testing the degree of love is understood to underlie the spending of wealth and material sacrifice, people fall into three groups in this respect: Firstly, those who affirm the DivineOneness, fulfill their covenant and renounce all their worldly goods, setting aside neither pounds not pence. They are unwilling to incur the liability to pay the alms: so much so that when one of them was asked the amount due on two hundred dirhams, he replied: For ordinary people the legal requirement if five dirhams, but we must give up everything. Thus About Bakr donated all his wealth, while Umar gave half of his. When the Prophet said to the latter: What have you kept for your family? He replied: An equal amount. And when the same question was asked of Abou Bakr, he said: Allah and His Messenger. The Prophet then said: The difference between you is the difference between you two answers. For Abou Bakr, the veracious, had borne himself out completely, keeping nothing back for himself but the Beloved, i.e. Allah and His Messenger. Secondly, at a lower level are those who hold on to their goods, waiting for occasions of need seasons of charity. Their object in saving up is to supply their own needs, without extravagance, and devote what is left over to charitable purposes as the occasion may arise. Such people do not confine their giving to the prescribed of the alms. One group of the Successors (the generation following the Companions) maintained the view that wealth is subject to other dues apart from the Zakat. When al-Shabi was asked if this was the case, he replied: Yes, have you not heard the words of Allah: Uprightness is not to turn your faces towards east or west, but uprightness is to believe in Allah and the Last Day, the angels, the Book and the Prophets, and to give away from your cherished wealth to your kin, orphans, the needy, the traveler, the beggars and to ransom a slave (Koran 2 verse 177) Allah, the Almighty also said: and expend in charity from the bounty We have provided them. (Koran 2 verse 3) And: And expend out of the sustenance We have bestowed upon you (Koran 63 verse 10) They maintained that these duties, far from being abrogated by the Verse of Zakat form part of the mutual obligations of all Muslims. In other words, whenever a well to do Muslim encounters one who is in need, it is incumbent upon him to relieve that need, over and above his payment of the alms. The correct legal opinion in this matter is that the relief of pressing need is a collective duty, resting on the Community as a whole, since a Muslim cannot be allowed to perish. It may be argued that a well to do person is not obliged to pay for the relief of want except by way of a loan, and that no donation can be required of him once he has discharged his due by giving his alms. It could also be argued that he is nevertheless required to make a donation and that lending is impermissible, i.e. it is not permissible to burden the poor with the acceptance of a loan. There is no unanimity on this question. Thirdly, to resort to lending is to descend to the final level of ordinary people. Those who belong to this third group confine themselves to the bare fulfillment of duty, neither more nor less. This is the lowest degree, the limit to, which all ordinary people confine themselves because of their miserliness, their attachment to money and their feebleness of their love of the Hereafter, as Allah, the Almighty said: If He were to ask you for them, and demand, you would be niggardly (Koran 47 verse 37) What a difference between a servant whose property and person Allah has bought, with Paradise as the price, and one He does not even ask to give all of it because he is so miserly! Elimination of Miserliness The Divine decree by, which Allah, the Almighty bids His servants to expend their wealth, is also significant in respect of purging the habit of miserliness, which is one of the deadly sins. As the Prophet said: Three are deadly; avarice indulged, passion pursued and self conceit. And in the words of Allah, the Almighty: And whoever is saved from the greed of his own soul, those they are the ones who prosper. (Koran 59 verse 9) The habit of miserliness is only eliminated by making oneself accustomed to spending money, for to break an attachment one must force oneself away until a new habit is formed. From this point of view, therefore, Zakat signifies purgation, in that he who pays the alms is purged of the deadly evil of miserliness. The purity he acquires is in proportion to his outlay, to his delight in giving away and to his joy in spending for the sake of Allah, the Almighty. ( c ) Expression of Gratitude The third factor is gratitude for the benefits received, for the servant is indebted to Allah, the Almighty for bounties both personal and material. Bodily acts of worship are an expression of gratitude for bodily blessings, while financial acts of worship express gratitude for material bounty. How mean one must be to see a poor man in needy straits, and yet be unwilling to give up two and a half or ten percent of ones wealth in token of ones gratitude to Allah for sparing one the need to beg as others must. Payment at Proper Time The second duty concerns the time of payment. One of the good practices of religious people is to anticipate the moment when payment falls due, demonstrating their willingness to comply by bringing joy to the hearts of the poor, forestalling the obstacles time might place in the way of charitable action, aware that there are dangers in delay as the servant runs the risk of disobedience should he postpone beyond the appointed moment. Whenever the impulse to good arises from within, the opportunity must be grasped at once as heaven sent. The heart of the believer lies between two fingers of the All Merciful. Yet how fickle the heart! Satan threatens poverty and bids us to commit atrocious and abominable deeds. Demonic suggestion follows hard on the heels of angelic inspiration. One should therefore seize the opportunity and fix a definite month for giving alms (if one is used to paying it all at once). One should endeavor to choose one of the most propitious times, resulting in extra closeness to Allah and compounding the value of the Zakat. Such a favorable time would be the month of Muharram, since it is the first in the year and one of the sacred Months; or Ramadan, for the Prophet, who was the best of all beings, and during Ramadan he was as unstinting as the breeze that blows. Ramadan also enjoys the special virtue of the Night of Destiny, as well as being the month in, which the Koran was sent down. Mujahid used to say: Do not say Ramadan for Ramadan is one of the names of Allah. Rather say: the month of Ramadan. Dhul Hijja is also one of the months of great merit; as well as being a Sacred Month, it is distinguished by the major Pilgrimage, the Hajj, and the Well-Known Days (the first ten of the month) and the Numbered Days, which are the days of tashriq (the three days following the day of sacrifice on the tenth). Give in Secret The third duty is secrecy, for this is farthest removed from hypocritical display And reputation seeking. The Prophet said: The most meritorious form of almsgiving is the effort to help a poor man, made in secret, by one who is himself of little means. According to one of the scholars: Three things are accounted among the treasures of righteousness, one of them being to give alms in secret. This saying has also been attributed to the Prophet. The Prophet also said: Let the servant do a good deed in secret and Allah will surely record it to his credit as a secret; if he reveals it, it will be transferred from the secret list and recorded among good works done openly; if he talks about it, it will be taken off both lists and recorded as hypocrisy. According to the well attested Tradition: Seven will Allah shade on the Day when there will be no shade but the shade of His Throne; one of them is a man who offers alms without his left hand knowing what his right hand had given. In another Tradition: Secret alms extinguish the anger of the Lord. Allah, the Almighty tells us in the Koran: but if your give charity secretly to the needy it is much better for you (Koran 2 verse 271) The advantage of secrecy is that it confers deliverance from the perils of hypocritical ostentation and reputation seeking. As the Prophet said: Allah does not accept from a braggart, a hypocrite or one who is always looking for gratitude. He who talks about almsgiving is seeking prestige, while he who gives for all the world to see is after public recognition; these pitfalls are avoided by secrecy and silence. Some have taken such an extreme view of the merit of secrecy as to maintain that the recipient should not know the identity of the giver. Some used to slip their alms into the hand of a blind man, while others would drop them in a poor mans path or in the place where he sat, so that he could see the gift without seeing the giver. Some would tuck their alms in the poor mans clothes while he was sleeping; still others would convey them by way of a third party so as to hide the donors identity, the intermediary being asked to keep the secret and charged not to disclose it. Such measures were designed to extinguish the anger of Allah, the Almighty, and as a precaution against hypocrisy and reputation seeking. When ever it is inevitable that at least one person should be in the know, it is preferable to entrust the alms to an agent for delivery to the needy beneficiary who should not be known to his benefactor; for knowing the beneficiary carries the double danger of ostentation and expectation of gratitude, whereas knowing the intermediary carries the former alone. Whenever fames is the donors objective, his work will be in vain, since the purpose of almsgiving is to eliminate miserliness and to weaken the love of wealth. But the love of status has a stronger hold over the soul than the love of wealth, and both of them have deadly consequences in the Hereafter. In the tomb, while the attribute of miserliness will assume, as it were, the form of a stinging scorpion, the attribute of ostentationess will turn into a viper. We are bidden to render them both weak or to kill them, so as to ward off their mischief or at least reduce it. But whenever we seek recognition and renown it is just like reinforcing the viper at the scorpions expense; as the scorpion gets weaker so does the snake get stronger. Things would have been better left as they were. The way to reinforce those attributes to act in accordance with their demands, while the way to reduce their power is to combat and oppose them and to act counter to their demands. So what is the use of going against miserly impulses only to yield to hypocritical motives, weakening the lesser only to reinforce the more powerful? Give Openly The fourth duty, when one knows that such conduct will tend to encourage others to follow suit, is to let ones giving be seen. In doing so, however, one must be inwardly on guard against hypocritical motives. Allah, the Almighty has said: If you give charity publicly it is good (Koran 2 verse 271) That is, in cases where display is called for, either to set a good example or because a beggar has made his request in public. In the latter instance it is not proper to withhold alms for fear of publicity; rather should one give while making every effort to be inwardly on guard against hypocrisy. This is because, apart from the expectation of gratitude and risk of hypocrisy, there is a third danger in visible almsgiving, namely that of offending a poor mans dignity. It may be hurtful to him to be seen to be needy. But someone who begs in public is bringing the disgrace upon himself, there is therefore no sense in being wary. Consider similar cases: It is forbidden to expose a persons vise so long as he keeps it private, and it is equally prohibited to spy on him and gossip about it. A flagrant offender, on the other hand, has only himself to blame when he suffers the penalty of public disgrace. Of like import are the words of the Prophet: He who casts off the garments of shame has no cause to complain of slander. Allah, the Almighty said: and expend of what We have bestowed upon them secretly and openly (Koran 13 verse 22) He commends giving in public, also, because this has the advantage of encouraging others. His servant should therefore take careful stock, weighing this benefits against the risks involved, for the situation varies from case to case and from one individual to another. For certain people under certain conditions open giving is preferable. To one who is aware of the pros and cons, and whose vision is unclouded by desire, what is right and proper in any given case will be readily apparent. Avoid Taunting and Hurting The fifth duty is not to invalidate ones alms through taunting and hurting, as Allah, the Almighty said: Do not spoil your charity by reproach and harm like the one who spends his wealth for show (Koran 2 verse 264) The Prophet said: Allah does not accept the alms of a taunter. Anyone who grasps the significance of the three points we mentioned earlier, while discussing the purpose and importance of the Zakat, or even one of them, must realize that he is a benefactor only to himself, through expending his wealth either to demonstrate his love of Allah, or to purge himself of the vice of miserliness, or to give thanks for the blessing of wealth in the hope of receiving more. Adopt Humility The sixth duty is to think little of ones donation, for to regard it highly is to invite that sanctimonious pride, which is one of the deadly sins, making good deeds worthless. Allah, the Almighty said: And on the day of Hunain when you were pleased by your great numbers, but it availed you none (Koran 9 verse 25) It is also said that whenever an act of obedience is belittled, it is magnified in the sight of Allah, the Almighty, while a sin considered serious appears small in His eyes. Another saying has it that three things are necessary to make a kindness complete; thinking little of it, doing it promptly, and keeping it out of sight. To make much of a gift is not the same as taunting and hurting, however. A man who spent his money on the construction of a mosque or hospice might well think it something to boast of, but taunting and hurting would be out of the question. Sanctimonious pride and self importance do tend to infect all acts of worship, and their antidote is knowledge and action. As for knowledge, it must be recognized that then or two and a half percent is a tiny fraction, and that to pay only this is to content oneself with the least generous level of expense, as we have explained above. This is something to be ashamed of rather than to boast about. Even is ones rose to the highest level, disbursing all or most of ones wealth, one should still reflect on where it came from in the first place, and for what purpose it is being spent. For all wealth belongs to Allah, the Almighty. It is to Him one should be grateful for being given it and being enabled to spend it, so why pride oneself on spending, for the sake of Allah, what is actually His property all along? And, if ones situation is such that one must look to the Hereafter, spending for the sake of spiritual reward, why boast of giving what one expects to receive many times over? As for action, ones giving should be done with a sense of shame as ones meanness and in holding back the rest of ones wealth from Allah, the Almighty. Ones demeanour should be humble and abashed, like that of someone who is asked to hand back a deposit by returns only part of it and holds on to the rest. For all wealth belongs to Allah, the Almighty, and He would prefer to see us give all we possess. If He has not commanded His servants to do so, it is only because that would be too hard on them by reason of their greed. As Allah High Exalted said: If He were to ask you for them, and demand, you would be niggardly (Koran 47 verse 37) Give the Best and Dearest The seventh duty is to select from ones wealth what is best and dearest to one the finest and most excellent part for Allah, the Almighty is Good and accepts only good. If the offering has been acquired by dubious means, it may not strictly belong to the donor and will then be disqualified. According to the Tradition reported by Aban on the authority of Anas ibn Malik: Blessed is the servant who spends out of wealth he has earned without sin. Not to make the offering from the best one has is to be guilty of bad manners, since it means that one is keeping the best for oneself, for ones servant or ones family, and so preferring others over Allah, the Almighty. To treat a guest in this fashion, offering him the worst food in the house, would be sure to annoy him. That is to look at it from the standpoint of Allah, the Almighty. If we look to ourselves and to reward in the Hereafter, no sane person is going to put others before himself. Whatever we possess, we may either give it in alms and so make it truly ours to keep, or consume it for some immediate purpose and say goodbye to it forever. But it is unreasonable to concentrate solely on the present, neglecting to lay by for the future, Allah, the Almighty said: O you who believe! Spend from the best of the wealth you have earned and of that We have provided for you from the earth, and do not spend from what is bad while you would not take it for yourselves, except with closed eyes. (Koran 2 verse 267) That is to say, you would accept it only reluctantly and with a feeling of shame, so do not select it for your Lord. According to the Tradition: A single coin may overtake a hundred thousand. This happens when a persons offering represents the best and finest part fo his wealth, and is made in a spirit of pleasure and happiness of giving. Were he to offer a hundred thousand times as much, but out of the part of his fortune he disliked, that would only go to show that he would not offer to Allah, the Almighty anything he was fond of. That is why Allah finds fault with people who set aside for Him what they themselves dislike. Allah, the Almighty said: And they ascribe to Allah that, which they hate for themselves, and their tongues utter the falsehood that all good things shall be theirs, Without a doubt (Koran 16 verse 62) Some reciters of the Koran pause at this negation, stressing the falsehood of what those people say, before continuing with: the Fire is for them (Koran 16 verse 62) That is they have earned the Fire by setting aside for Allah what they themselves dislike. Seek the Worthy and Deserving The eighth duty is to seek out a truly worthy recipient for ones offering (sadaqa), rather than to be content with just anybody who happens to fall within the eight categories of legally qualified beneficiaries. For among those generally eligible there are some with special qualities. Attention should be paid first to these special qualities, which are six in number: Firstly, one should seek out those pious people who have renounced the world and devoted themselves exclusively to the business of the Hereafter. The Prophet said: Partake of no food but that of a pious man; and let none but the pious partake of your own. The reason for this is that your food will support the pious person in his piety; by helping him, you will become a partner in his worship. The Prophet also said: Offer your food to the pious, and favor the believers with your kindness. Another version has the words: Treat to your food those whom you love in Allah, the Almighty. A certain scholar used to make the point of feeding poor Sufis to the exclusion of others. When it was put to him that he ought rather to distribute his charity among the poor in general, he replied: No, these are people entirely devoted to Allah, the Almighty. If smitten with destitution, one of them might be distracted, so to revive one mans devotion to Allah, the Almighty, is dearer to me than giving to a thousand of those whose sole concern is this world. These words were related by al-Junayd, who expressed his approval and said: This man is one of the saints of Allah, the Almighty. He then went on to say: It is a long time I heard better words than these. It was later reported that this man had fallen upon hard times and had decided to close up his shop, so al-Junayd sent him some money and said: Take this as your capital and keep your shop open; commerce is surely not harmful to men like you. This man was a grocer who used to serve the poor without charging them anything. Secondly, the recipient should be chosen from among the people of learning, to support him in his quest for knowledge. Learning is the noblest form of worship, so long as it is based on right intention. Ibn al-Mubarak used to address his charity exclusively to people of learning. I know no rank, after that of Prophethood, superior in merit to the rank of the learned. If one of them became preoccupied with his needs he would not be free to devote himself to knowledge and concentrate on study. It is therefore better to give them the freedom to pursue learning. Thirdly, the recipient should be sincere in his piety and exclusive worship and devotion to Allah alone. This singleness of worship and devotion (Tawhid) is apparent when, on accepting a gift, he offers praise and thanks to Allah, the Almighty, regarding Him as the source of the blessing rather than any intermediary. Such a man is truly grateful to Allah, the Almighty, recognizing that all blessings flow from Him. Luqman said in his testament to him son: Set no one as benefactor between yourself and Allah, but count the favors you receive from others as a liability. If anyone gives thanks to other than Allah it is as if he does not know the true Benefactor and does not realize that the intermediary is under compulsion, subject to the will of Allah, the Almighty Who has endowed him with motivation and enabled him to act. The intermediary is therefore under compulsion to give; he could not choose to do otherwise after Allah, the Almighty had instilled in his heart that his well being both spiritual and worldly depended on his acting. When the impulse becomes powerful it demands a resolute response; it becomes irresistible and brooks no hesitation. It is Allah, the Almighty Who creates these impulses and arouses them to action. It is He Who strips them of weakness and vacillation, compelling the faculties to respond to their demands. No one conscious of this could pay attention except to the Cause of all causes. Such awareness is more valuable to the giver than the praises and thanks he might receive from others, for that would be most useless lip service, whereas the help extended to this truly dedicated servant of Allah will not be wasted. As for those who lavish pride and good wishes in return for a gift, they may find fault when they are not satisfied and utter curses when they are disappointed, though cases vary. It is related that the Prophet once sent an offering to a certain man, telling the messenger to remember anything he might say. This is what the man said on receiving the gift: The praise belongs to Allah, Who neither forgets those who remember Him nor neglects those who thank Him. Then he added: O Allah, You have not forgotten so and so (meaning himself), so let him not forget You. When news of this reached the Messenger of Allah he said in delight: I knew he would say that. See how this man confined his attention to Allah alone. The Prophet once said to a man: Repent! The man said: I repent to Allah alone; I do not repent to Muhammad. To this the Prophet replied: The right has been acknowledge where it is due. When it was Divinely revealed that Aisha was innocent of the slanderous accusations leveled at her in the incident of the lie, About Baker told his daughter: Get up and kiss the head of the Messenger of Allah. But she said: By Allah I shall not do so! I shall give thanks to none but Allah. The Prophet said: Leave her alone, Abou Bakr. According to another version: Aisha said to About Bakr: The praise is for Allah, not yours nor that of your friend. The Messenger of Allah did not object to what she had said, although it was by his tongue that the Divine Revelation had reached her. To see things as emanating from any source but Allah, the Almighty is the mark of the unbelievers, Allah, the Almighty has said in the Koran: And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are loathe, but when those other than Him are mentioned, they are joyful. (Koran 39 verse 45) If someone has not inwardly purified himself of seeing the intermediaries except for what they really are, it is as if his secret soul is still attached to a concealed polytheism. He should therefore devote himself to Allah, the Almighty to purify his affirmation of DivineOneness from the taints and stains of associating others with Him. Fourthly, the recipient should be a person who has remained anonymous and kept his need to himself, not being given to fuss and complaint; or one of those magnanimous people who, though fortune has departed, still remain unaffected and preserve their high standards. Allah, the Almighty has said: the ignorant would suppose them to be well off because of their self-respect, you can know their real condition from their faces, for they are not the ones who would beg of people with impunity (Koran 2 verse 273) In other words, they do not make a nuisance of themselves by begging, for they are rich in their certainty and proud in their fortitude. Such men should be sough out by thorough investigation of the religious people in each neighborhood, and by looking deeply into the circumstances of good and decent people, since the reward for addressing charity to them is many times greater than for spending on those who are vociferous in their begging. Fifthly, the recipient should be someone saddled with a large family, or else disabled by illness or some other cause, so as to come under the import of the words of Allah: Charity is for the needy who are engaged in the cause of Allah so much that they cannot move about in the land to earn their livelihood (Koran 2 verse 273) In other words, they are held in confinement on the way of the Hereafter by reason of family responsibilities, hardship or psychological problems. They cannot move about in the land because their wings are clipped and their limbs are tied. This is why Umar used to give the household of the Prophet a flock of sheep, not fewer than ten, while the Prophet himself would suit his gift to the size of the family. Umar was once asked about the toughest trial and his answer was: A big family and a little money. Sixthly, the recipient should be a close relative, whether paternal or maternal. The offering will then serve the additional purpose of strengthening ties of kinship, the reward for, which is incalculable. Ali once said: To present one of my brothers with a single coin is dear to me than giving twenty in alms, while to present him with twenty is dearer to me than giving a hundred in alms, and to present him with a hundred is dearer to me than emancipating a slave. Friends and fellows in a good cause should be preferred over mere acquaintances, just as relatives are put before strangers. The Sixth Book The Mysteries of Fasting Kitab Asrar al-Sawm Chapter One On the Outward Duties and Regulations (of Fasting) and the Duties Attending the Breaking of it The Outward Duties The Outward duties relative to fasting are six: The first is to watch the beginning of the month of Ramadan (and announce it) at the observation of the new moon (al hilal). But if the clouds should make the observation of the new moon impossible then the length of Shaban should be extended days. The second outward duty is intention (niyyah). Every night before the dawn of the following day the person should specifically and deliberately entertain the intention of fasting. If he should entertain the intention to fast the month of Ramadan but fail to renew his intention every night, his fast would not be valid. The third duty is that, as long as he remembers that he is fasting, the individual should abstain (imsak) from intentionally allowing any material substance such as food, drink, snuff, and enema to enter his body. All these render his fast invalid. The fourth duty is abstinence (imsak) from sexual intercourse. The definition of sexual intercourse is the disappearance of the glands of the penis (in the vulva). If a person, forgetting that he is fasting, should have sexual intercourse, he would not, because of it, break his fast. If, during the night he should either have sexual intercourse or experience an erotic dream, and wake up in the morning in a state of impurity (junub), his fast would not be broken. The fifth, duty is abstinence from deliberate seminal emission (istimna), either through sexual contact or through no sexual contact. For deliberate seminal emission breaks the fast. The person, however, will not break his fast if he kisses his wife or lies with her unless in doing so he emits the seminal fluid. Nevertheless both are disapproved except where the man be advanced in age and in full control of his impulses, in, which case there will be no harm in kissing, although abstinence therefore is better and more desirable. If he fears that as a result of kissing (and toying) he may emit the seminal fluid, and yet kisses with the result that the seminal fluid is emitted, he breaks his fast because he was (deliberately) negligent. The sixth duty is abstinence from vomiting because it renders the fast invalid. But if one cannot help it, his fast remains intact and valid. And if a person swallows phlegm or mucus from his throat or chest he will not invalidate his fast. This has been made permissible because of the prevalence of the affliction. But if he swallows either after it has reached his mouth, he will break his fast. The Duties Attending the Breaking of the Fast The duties attending (lawazim) the breaking of the fast are four, namely, making amends (qada), atonement (kaffarah), expiation (fidyah), and abstinence from food and drink for the rest of the day in imitation of those who are fasting. Making amends (qada), is obligatory upon every responsible Muslim who has neglected to observe the fast with or without any excuse. Thus the menstruating woman, as well as the apostate, is under obligation to make amends for (every) fasting (which she has or he fails to observe); while the unbeliever, the minor, and the insane are under no such obligation. Making amends for days omitted in Ramadan need not be consecutively performed but may be performed either at different intervals or all at once. The atonement (kaffarah), is not obligatory except after sexual intercourse. Seminal emission, food and drink require no atonement. The atonement consists of freeing one slave. If this is not possible, the fasting of two consecutive months will suffice; however, if this also be beyond the mans power he should feed sixty poor men, giving each a bushel (of wheat, barley or dates). As to abstinence from food and drink for the rest of the day, it is obligatory upon anyone who broke the fast (without any excuse) or failed to carry out (all its requirements). The menstruating woman is under no obligation to fast for the rest of the day if she ahs already become pure. Similarly the traveler, who ate the end of two days journey, arrives not in a state of fasting, is under no obligation to fast for the rest of the day. It is also obligatory to abstain from food and drink on doubtful days when only one trustworthy witness has declared that he has seen the new moon. Furthermore, when on travel, unless it is unbearable, it is better to fast than not to fast. No one should break his fast on the day when eh embarks on a journey if he has already begun that day by fasting, nor on the day when he comes in from a journey, if he has already begun that day by fasting. As to expiation (fidyah), it is obligatory upon pregnant and nursing women if they should not fast for the sake of their children. Besides making amends for the days thus omitted, they should give in expiation a bushel of wheat to the poor for each day they did not fast. The aged man who does not fast (because of his infirmity) should give a bushel (of wheat) for every day thus omitted. The Practices Connected with the Fast The practices connected with the fast are six. They are delaying the time of the suhur, speeding the breaking of the fast by eating dates or drinking water before performing prayer, putting away the toothpick after sunset, generous giving during the month of Ramadan especially because of its special excellence, which were discussed in the Book of Almsgiving, special study of the Koran and retreating (Itikaf) into the mosque especially during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. It was the custom of the Messenger of Allah, upon arrival of the last ten days of the month of Ramadan, to roll up his mattress, fasten his mantle around his waist and, making his family do the same, continue his worship until the end of the ten day period, since during these ten days the Night of Power (laylat al-qadr) falls. Chapter Two On the Mysteries of Fasting and its Inward Conditions Now that fasting is of three (successive) grades, namely, the fasting of the general public (sawm al-umum), the fasting of the select few (sawm al-khusus), and the fasting of the elite among the select few (sawm khusus al-khusus). The fasting of the general public involves refraining from satisfying the appetite of the stomach and the appetite of the sex, as has already been discussed. The fasting of the select few is to keep the ears, eyes, the tongue, the hands, and the feet as well as the other senses free from sin. The fasting of the elite among the select few is the fast but Allah. Such a fast is broken by thinking on anything other than Allah, the Almighty and the Last Day, as well as by concern over this world, except in so far as it promotes religion, which belongs to the Hereafter. Chapter Three On Voluntary Fasting and the Arrangement Of Portions therein Know that the desirability of fasting becomes more certain on special days or particular excellence. These days of excellence recur either annually, monthly or weekly. Besides those of Ramadan, the annual days of excellence are the day of Arafah (Yawm Arafah), the day of Ashura (Yawm Ashura). The first ten days of al-Muharram. Similarly the sacred months are in their entirety a fitting time for fasting, and of special excellence. The Messenger of Allah was in the habit of frequently fasting during (the month) of Shaban to the extent where it would be thought that he was in Ramadan. In another Tradition: Besides the month of Ramadan the most excellent month for fasting is the month of Allah, al-Muharram. This is because al-Muharram is the first month of the year; thus to commence the year right is more pleasing to Allah, the Almighty and gives greater hope that His blessing will continue through. The Messenger of Allah also said: The fast of one single day during Ramadan is more excellent than that of thirty days during another sacred month. In another Tradition: He who fasts three days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, during a sacred month, will be credited by Allah with nine hundred years of worship for each day. And again: When the ides of Shaban are gone, there should be no fasting until Ramadan is on. It is therefore desirable that one should, if he were fasting during Shaban, break his fast a few days before the beginning of Ramadan. But if he should continue his fast through Shaban into Ramadan his action will be perfectly permissible since the Messenger of Allah himself has done that once, although, ordinarily, he allowed a period of no fasting to intervene. Nor is it permissible for him to prepare for the arrival of Ramadan with a fast of two or three days from Shaban unless he observes the corresponding portions. Some of the Companions disapproved of fasting the whole of the month of Rajab lest it would become equal to the month of Ramadan in excellence and importance. The excellent months (al-ashur al-fadilah) are Dhu-al-Hijjah, al-Muharram, Rajab and Shaban, while the sacred months (al-ashhur al-hurum) are Dhu-al-Qadah, Dhu-al-Hijjah, al-Muharrum and Rajab. One of these (i.e. Rajab) stands alone, and three follow successively one after the other. The most excellent of these of Dhu-al-Hijjah because in it fall the appointed days (al-ayyam al-malumat) and the numbered days (al-ayyam al-madudat). Dhu-al-Qadah is one of the sacred months as well as one of the months of Pilgrimage. On the other hand Shawwal is one of the months of Pilgrimage but not one of the sacred months, while neither al-Muharrum nor Rajab is a month of Pilgrimage. The Messenger of Allah, as we see it recorded in the following Tradition, once said: No good works are more excellent or more acceptable to Allah, the Almighty than those, which are performed during the (first) ten days of Dhu-al-Hijjah. Indeed the fast on one of those days is equal to the fast of one whole year, and the prayer during one of these nights is equivalent to the prayer during the Night of Power (laylat al-qadr). He was then asked: Not even holy war for the cause of Allah is better? To, which he replied: Not even holy war for the cause of Allah is better except when the persons steed is killed and his own blood is shed. The excellent days, which recur every month are the first, the middle and the last days of each month. In the middle of each month fall the days of the bright nights (al-ayyam al bid). These are the thirteenth, the fourteenth and the fifteenth days of each month. The excellent days, which recur every week are Monday, Thursday and Friday. These are the excellent days of the week on, which it is desirable to fast and to do good, since, because of the special beneficence of these days, the reward of the acts performed on them is multiplied in double. As to life long fasting (sawm al-dahr) it is all inclusive. Mystics (salikun) hold different views concerning it. Some of them, basing their opinions on several Traditions, have viewed it with disfavor. The truth of the matter is that it is viewed with disfavor for two reasons; one is that by fasting the whole duration of his life, the person will have to abstain from eating even on the two feasts, [namely the feast of Ramadan (al-Fitr) and the feast of the Sacrifice (al-Adha)] as well as on the other days of orientation (ayyam al-tashriq); the other is that by doing so, he departs from the established practice of the Messenger of Allah and makes fasting a yoke for himself although Allah would like him to enjoy his liberties just as much as He would want him to fulfill his obligations. If, however, there are no such (dangers) and the person deems it good for himself to observe a life long fast, let him by all means do so since several of the Companions and the followers have done the same. The Seventh Book The Mysteries of Pilgrimage Chapter One On The Excellent Merit of Pilgrimage Allah, the Almighty said: And proclaim the Pilgrimage among people, and they shall come to you on foot, and on every means from everywhere- (Koran 22 verse 27) Qatada said that when Allah, the Almighty commanded Ibrahim, and our Prophet and every chosen servant to proclaim the Pilgrimage among the people, he declared; O people! Allah, the Almighty has built a House, so make Pilgrimage to it! Allah, the Almighty said: That they may gain benefit for themselves there (Koran 22 verse 28) When some referred this to trading at the season of Pilgrimage and reward in the Hereafter, one of the elders said: By the lord of the Kabah, may they be forgiven! The words of Allah, the Almighty in, which Satan is made to say: - I will waylay them on Your Straight Path- (Koran 7 verse 16) has been interpreted as meaning that Satan lurks on the road to Makkah to keep people from getting there. The Prophet said: He who make Pilgrimage to the House, avoiding indecent and immoral behavior, emerges from his sins like a newborn babe. The Prophet also said; Satan never appears smaller, more abject and more furious than on the day of Arafat. This is simply because he sees mercy descending and sees Allah, the Almighty, overlooking serious sins, for it is said that the only expiation for certain sins is standing at Arafat. (Jafar ibn Muhammad attributes this say to the Messenger of Allah.) One of those saintly people endowed with spiritual insight mentioned that Iblis, on him be the curse of Allah, appeared to him at Arafat in human form. He was thin, jaundiced, tearful and stooping. When asked the reason for his weeping, he said: The fact that the Pilgrims have set out towards Allah alone and not for doing business, I say, they have Allah alone as their destination. I fear they will not be thwarted, and that makes me unhappy. He was then asked the cause of his thinness and he said: The neighing of the horses in the way of Allah, the Almighty. It would please me better if they were in my service. The reason for his jaundiced complexion? The way they all assist each other in obedience. It would suit me better if they would help each other to disobey. And what gave him that stoop? When a creature prays: Grant me I beseech You a good conclusion, then I say: Woe is me! When he takes delight in his good work I am afraid he may have achieved sagacity. The Prophet said: If someone sets out from his home as a Pilgrim or Visitant (mutamir) and then dies, he is granted the reward of a Pilgrim or Visitant till the Day of Resurrection. Anyone who dies in either of the Sanctuaries (Makkah or Madinah) is not subject to review or reckoning, but is told to enter Paradise. The Prophet also said: A blessed Pilgrimage is better than this world and all it contains. For a blessed Pilgrimage there is no reward but Paradise. Also: Pilgrims and Visitants are the emissaries and visitors of Allah, the Almighty, if they petition Him He gives what they ask, if they seek His forgiveness He forgives them, if they call on Him He answers, and if they seek intercession it is granted. According to a Tradition handed down by the family of the Prophet, on them be peace: No one sins more grievously than he who stands at Arafat and supposes that Allah, the Almighty has not forgiven him. According to ibn Abbas, the Prophet said: One hundred and twenty mercies descend upon this House each day; sixty for the circumambulants, forty for those performing prayers and twenty for those who just look at it. Another Tradition says: Make frequent circuits of the House, for this will be among the glories of your records on the Day of Resurrection, and the most fortunate action credited to you. Circumambulation is therefore commendable on its own account, not only as part of the Pilgrimage or Visitation. Tradition recounts: To circuit seven times, barefoot or bareheaded, is as meritorious as freeing a slave, while he who circumambulates seven times in the rain is forgiven all his previous sins. It is said that when Allah, the Almighty forgives a sin for one servant at the place of standing (the plain of Arafat), He forgives it for everyone there who is guilty of it. One of the elders said that when the Day of Arafat coincides with the Day of Congregation (i.e. falls on a Friday), all those present at Arafat are forgiven and it is the most excellent day in the world. It was on such a day that the Messenger of Allah made his Farewell Pilgrimage. While he was standing there he received the Revelation from Allah, the Almighty: - Today I have perfected for you your Religion and completed My Grace on you, I have chosen Islam for you as your Religion (Koran 5 verse 3) The people of the Book said: If this revelation had come down to us we would have made it a festival day. Umar said: I am witness to the fact that it was on a double festival day that this Revelation came down to The Messenger of Allah as he was standing at Arafat, the Day of Arafat and the day of Congregation. The Prophet said: O Allah, forgive the Pilgrim and those for whom the Pilgrim seeks forgiveness! It is related that Ali ibn Muwaffaq made several Pilgrimages on behalf of the Messenger of Allah. He said: I then saw the Messenger of Allah in a dream and he asked me: Ibn Muwaffaq, did you make Pilgrimage on my behalf? When I said Yes, he said: And you cried labbayk (at Your service Lord!) on my behalf? I confirmed this and he said: Then I shall reward you for it on the Day of Resurrection, I shall take you by the hand at the waiting place and lead you into Paradise, while all creatures are in dread of the Reckoning. According to Mujahad and other scholars, when the Pilgrims reach Makkah they are met by the angels, who salute those riding camels, shake hands with those riding donkeys, and embrace thos ewalking on foot. Al-Hasan says that anyone who dies just after Ramada, just after a holy campaign or just after a Pilgrimage, dies a martyr. Umar said: The Pilgrim is forgiven, as are those for whom he seeks forgiveness in the holy months of Dhul Hijja, Muharram and Safar, and twenty days of First Rabi. It was the customary practice of the elders to see the warriors off on campaign and to greet the returning Pilgrims, kissing them between the eyes and asking for their prayers; they did this promptly, before they had time to become sullied with sins. Ali ibn Muwaffaq is reported as saying: I made Pilgrimage one year and when the Night of Arafat arrived I slept at Mina, in the Mosque of al-Khayf. There I dreamt that I saw two angels descending from heaven, clad in garments of green. One of them called out to his companion: O servant of Allah! and the other responded with: At your service, O servant of Allah! The first then asked: Do you know how many came on Pilgrimage this year to the House of Allah, the Almighty? No. Six hundred thousand made the Pilgrimage to the House of our Lord. Do you know how many of them were accepted? No. Only six souls. The two angels then rose into the air and disappeared from my view. At this point I awoke in dismay, feeling deep anxiety and concern. I said to myself: If only six souls had their Pilgrimages accepted, where am I placed? I then joined the stampede from Arafat, stopping at Muzdalifah. I began to ponder how great was the multitude and how few would find acceptance, till sleep overtook me and I saw the two figures descending as before. They hailed each other, then one said: Do you know what our Lord has decreed tonight? No. To each of the six He has given a hundred thousand. I awoke this time with a feeling of indescribable joy. He is further reported as saying: I went on Pilgrimage one year, and after completing all the rites I thought about those whose Pilgrimages would not be accepted. Then I said: O Allah, I donate my Pilgrimage and give the merit of it to someone whose Pilgrimage has not been accepted. Then I dreamt of the Lord of Might, Glorious is His Majesty, Who said to me: Ali, you would be more generous than I, though it is I Who have created generosity and the generous! I Who am the Most Bounteous of the bountiful, the Most Municifent of the municifent, more Worthy of bounty and generosity than the entire universe. I have bestowed all whose Pilgrimages I have not accepted upon those who have won my acceptance. Excellence of the Kabah and of Makkah the Ennobled The Prophet said: Allah has promised this House that it will be visited every year by six hundred thousand Pilgrims. If they fall short of this number, Allah Most Gracious, makes it up from among the angels. The Kabah will be raised up at the Resurrection as if a bridal procession; all who have made the Pilgrimage to it will go around it, hanging on to its coverings, till it enters Paradise and they enter with it. According to Tradition: The Black Stone is a ruby of Paradise. It will be raised on the Day of Resurrection with a pair of eyes and a tongue with, which to speak, testifying for all who have touched it with truth and sincerity. The Prophet used to kiss it often. It is related that he also prostrated himself upon it. If he rode on a camel while circuiting around it, he touched it with a crooked staff and then kissed the end of the staff. Umar kissed it and then said: I know you are a stone that neither harms nor helps, and had I not seen The Messenger of Allah kiss you, I would not have kissed you. Then he wept, sobbing loudly. On turning round he saw Ali and said: Here tears are shed and prayers are answered, father of al-Hasan! But Ali replied: Oh yes, Commander of the Believers, it does indeed harm and help! How so? When Allah, the Almighty took the Covenant from the descendants of Adam, He committed it to writing and embedded the document in this stone; it will therefore bear witness for the believer as to his fulfillment, and against the unbeliever as to his repudiation. This, they say is the significance of the words people utter when touching the Black Stone: O Allah, I declare my belief in You, my acceptance of Your document and my fulfillment of Your Covenant. Al-Hasan al-Basri is reported as saying: One day of fasting in Makkah is worth a hundred thousand days, one penny in alms is worth a thousand pounds, and any other good deed is likewise worth a hundred thousand times its value elsewhere. It is said that to circumambulate seven times is equal to one Visitation, and that three Visitations are equal to one Pilgrimage. According to authentic Tradition: A Visitation in Ramadan is like performing a Pilgrimage with me. The Prophet said: I shall be the first for whom the earth will split open, then I shall go to the cemetery called al-Baqi (in Madinah) and its occupants will be gathered up with me, then I shall go to the people of Makkah and I shall be resurrected between the Two Sanctuaries. According to another Tradition: When Adam had performed all the rites of Pilgrimage he was met by the angels who said: Blessed be your Pilgrimage Adam. We made Pilgrimage to this House two thousand years before you did. We have it from an early source that Allah, the Almighty surveys the people of the earth every night; the first at whom He looks are the people of the Sanctuary (Makkah) and of these He looks first at the people of the Sacred Mosque; those He sees circuiting it He forgives, those He sees at Prayer He forgives, and those He sees standing facing the Kabah He forgives. One of the saints saw a vision and said: I saw all the frontier regions prostrating toward Abbadan and I saw Abbadan prostrating towards Jiddah. It is said that the sun never sets on a day, nor rises after a night, when a saintly or holy person has not made the circuit of the House, and that when this ceases to be so there will be cause for the Kabah to be removed from the earth without trace. This will happen when nobody has come on Pilgrimage for seven years. The Koran will then be removed from the written books, leaving pages blank with not one letter showing. Then the Koran will be erased from all hearts, not one word of it will be remembered. People will then revert to the poems, songs and fables of the time of ignorance. Then will emerge the Antichrist and Jesus will come down to kill him. The Hour of Resurrection will be at that moment as it were a pregnant woman on the verge of giving birth. According to Tradition: Make frequent circumambulation of this House, before it is taken up; for twice it has been laid waste and the third time it will be taken away. It is related on the authority of Ali that the Prophet said: Allah, the Almighty says: If I wished to destroy the world I would begin by destroying My House, then I would destroy the whole world in its wake. The Merit and Demerit of Residing in Makkah May Allah, the Almighty protect her Cautiously apprehensive scholars find fault with permanent residence in Makkah on three grounds: One, fear of boredom and over familiarity with the House, for this may tend to douse the ardour of reverence in the heart. That is why Umar used to beat the people who had completed their Pilgrimage, crying: Yemenis, back to Yemen! Syrians, back to Syria! Iraqis, back to Iraq! For the same reason Umar was careful to prevent people from excessive circumambulation saying: I am afraid people will get too familiar with this House. Two, nostalgia stimulates a yearning to return. Allah, the Almighty has made the House a concourse secure for mankind i.e. a place where they should congregate, returning to it time and again and never ceasing to aspire to it. Someone said: That you should be in another town, with your heart yearning for Makkah, attached to this House, is better for you than being there, bored with long residence and hankering after another town. As one of the elders said: Many a man in Khurasan is closer to this House than those circuiting it! It is even said that Allah, the Almighty has servants so close to Him that the Kabah revolves around them. Three, fear of committing errors and sins there. That is a grave peril, likely to excite the anger of Allah, the Almighty, on account of the nobility of the place. Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, the Makkan, is reported as saying: One night as I was praying by the Black Stone, I heard a conversation between the Kabah and its coverings, in, which it said: To Allah I complain, and then to you, Gabriel, of what the circumambulants fling around me; the thoughts they give vent to, their vanities and their prattling. Unless they desist I shall surely give myself a mighty shake, sending every stone I am built with back to the hills from where they were hewn! Ibn Masud said: In no city but Makkah is a man chastised for his mere intention, before he has acted upon it. The he recited the words of Allah: whoever purposes to violate it wrongfully, We shall cause him to taste a painful chastisement. (Koran 22 verse 25) That is to say, punishment is entailed by the mere purpose. It is said that evil deeds are compounded in Makkah, as are good deeds. Ibn Abbas used to say: Monopolistic hoarding in Makkah constitutes violation of the Sanctuary. Some say the same of lying. Ibn Abbas said: To sin seventy times at al-Rakiyah would be preferable to me than to commit a single sin in Makkah. Such fear has even led certain residents of Makkah to make a practice of leaving their confines of the Sanctuary whenever they need to answer the call of nature. Someone stayed there a whole month without ever reclining on the ground. As a deterrent to long residence, certain scholars have expressed disapproval of renting houses in Makkah. Let it not be supposed that the demerit of residence is at odds with the merit of the place itself. The reason behind the former is human frailty and inability to treat the place with due respect. When we declare it preferable to forsake residing there, we refer to residence associated with inadequacy and boredom. As for its being preferable to residence in all propriety; how utterly absurd! Of course, for when The Messenger of Allah came back to Makkah he approached the Kabah and said: You are the best spot on the earth of Allah, Great and Glorious is He. If I had not had to leave you, I would never have left you. Of course, for it is an act of worship just to look upon the House, and goods deeds performed there are compounded, as we have mentioned. The Superiority of Madinah the Radiant over Other Towns After Makkah itself, there is no place superior to Madinah, the City of the Messenger of Allah. Deeds performed there are also compounded. Said the Prophet: One prayer in this Mosque of mine is better than a thousand prayers in any other Mosque, except the Sacred Mosque. Likewise every good action in Madinah is worth a thousand. After the City of the Prophet comes the Holy Land of Jerusalem, where one prayer is equal to five hundred elsewhere, with the exception fo the Sacred Mosque. Again, the same is true of other deeds. Ibn Abbas relates that the Prophet said: One prayer in the Mosque of Madinah is worth ten thousand prayers, one prayers in al-Aqsa Mosque is worth a thousand, and one prayer in the Sacred Mosque is worth a hundred thousand. The Prophet said: If anyone endures the rigours and austerity of (Madinah), I shall be an intercessor for him on the Day of Resurrection. Also: If someone is able to die in Madinah, let him die there, for no one will die there without my being an intercessor for him on the Day of Resurrection. Aside from these three places, all other districts are on an equal footing, with the exception of the frontier regions, where it is extremely meritorious to take up station. The Prophet said: Only these three Mosques deserve a special journey; the Sacred Mosque, my Mosque and the Mosque of al-Aqsa. The Messenger of Allah also said: All countries are the countries of Allah, the Almighty, so take up residence in any place where you find good company, and give praise to Allah, the Almighty. Chapter Two Fine Points of Propriety: Internal Conduct The Fine Points of propriety are ten in number: Purity of Intention and Means 1.The Pilgrim should meet his expenses by lawful (Halal) means and should have his hands free of any worrisome and distracting business concerns, so that his attention may be devoted exclusively to Allah, the Almighty, and his heart directed in tranquility to the remembrance of Allah and the veneration of His holy rites. According to a Tradition handed down by relatives of the Prophet: At the end of the age, four classes of people will go on Pilgrimage; their rulers for the outing; their rich men for their trade; their poor men for the begging; their Koran readers for the benefit of their reputations. This indicates that all conceivable worldly purposes have some connection with the Pilgrimage. All of this negates the virtue of the Pilgrimage and depersonalizes it, especially when the Pilgrimage itself is directly exploited by one who makes it on behalf of another in exchange for payment, seeking worldly gain by the work of the Hereafter. Pious and spiritual people disapprove of this, except where the intention of the person accepting payment is to settle in Makkah and he lacks the means to get there; in that case there is no harm in it, the purpose being to use worldly means for religious ends and not vice-versa. In this instance his object must be to visit the House of Allah, the Almighty, while at the same time helping his Muslim brother be relieving him of his religious obligation. Revelant in this connection is the saying of the Messenger of Allah: Allah, Glorified is He; admits three to Paradise for a single Pilgrimage; the testator who bequeaths it; the one who carries it out; and the one who performs it on behalf of his brother. I am not saying that it is unlawful to make Pilgrimage on behalf of someone else, nor that one is forbidden to do so after having discharged ones personal obligation as a Muslim. It is better not to do so, however, and not to make it a livelihood and a business, for Allah, the Almighty, gives the world for religion, not religion for the world. According to the Tradition: He who goes on a campaign in the cause of Allah, the Almighty, and he who takes a wage, is like the mother of Moses who suckled her child and took her wage. He who takes hire for the Pilgrimage is similarly comparable to the mother of Moses; there is no harm in his doing so, for he takes it in order to have the possibility of making the Pilgrimage and visiting the Holy Places. He does not go on Pilgrimage to get the hire, but the other way round, just as Moses mother accepted payment to facilitate her suckling by concealing her condition. Shunning Unlawful Taxes 2. The Pilgrim should not aid the enemies of Allah by paying tolls to those Makkan chiefs who bare the way to the Sacred Mosque, or Bedouin who lurk along the road. To pay these people is to encourage tyranny and to make it easy for them, for it is like giving them moral support. The Pilgrim should therefore devise some means of escape from such payment. If he is not capable of this, then according to some scholars (and it is not a bad opinion) it is better to turn back and abandon non-obligatory Pilgrimage rather than give assistance to tyrants, for this is a heretical innovation and acquiesance would tend to give it the force of custom. This form of taxation is degrading and humiliating to the Muslims. There is no sense in saying: I had to pay up under duress. If one had stayed at home or turned back one would not have had to pay a thing. Actually, a display of affluence sometimes provokes a lot of demands, whereas these would not arise if one dressed like the poor people; you may only have yourself to blame for putting yourself in a situation of duress. Moderation in Expenditure 3. Liberality in provision and magnamanity in outlay and expenditure, steering a course between stinginess and extravagance. I mean the lavish indulgence in exquisite food and drink, characteristic of the opulent. But heavy expense in giving generously is not extravagance, for there is no goodness in immoderation and no immoderation in goodness. Outlay on provision for the Pilgrimage is expenditure in the way of Allah, and every penny of it is worth seven hundred. Ibn Umar said: Part of nobility consists in making generous provision for ones journey. He also used to say: The most virtuous Pilgrim is he whose intention is most sincere, his expenditure most proper and his conviction most certain. The Prophet said: For the Pilgrimage that is blessed there is no reward but Paradise. When he was asked: O Messenger of Allah, what makes a Pilgrimage blessed? He replied: Speaking well and feeding the poor. Forsaking Evil Conduct 4. Forsaking indecency, immorality and wrangling, as spoken of in the Koran. Indecency is a general term, covering all nonsensical, foul and obscene language and including flirtation and dalliance with women as well as discussion of sexual intercourse and its preliminaries. Such talk excites the urge to unlawful intercourse, and incitement to what is forbidden is itself forbidden. Immorality is another general term, covering all departures from obedience to Allah. Wrangling is excessive quarreling and argument, causing ill-will, distracting from noble purpose and incompatible with good character. As Sufyan said: Indecent behaviour vitiates ones Pilgrimage. The Messenger of Allah set decent speech on a par with providing food as a cause of blessedness in the Pilgrimage, and quarreling is incompatible with decent speech. One should therefore refrain from raising frequent objections against ones fellow traveler, the camels and one s other companions; rather should one take things gently, sheltering others beneath ones wing along the way to the House of Allah. Good conduct is essential, and good conduct means putting up with painful things rather than trying to repel them. They say that the Arabic word for journey is safar because it reveals (yusfiruan) a persons character. That is why Umar asked someone who claimed to know a man: Have you accompanied him on a journey that would show up his good qualities? Since the answer was no, he told him: The I do not think you can know him! Going on Foot 5. Those who are able should make the Pilgrimage on foot, for this is the most meritorious way. At his death, Abd Allah ibn Abbas bequeathed this advice to his sons: My sons, go on foot when you make the Pilgrimage, because for every step the Pilgrim takes while walking he earns seven hundred of the bounties of the Sanctuary. When asked what these bounties were, he replied: One good deed in the Sanctuary is rewarded a hundred thousand-fold. Walking between the various Hajj rituals, and when going to and fro between Makkah, Arafat and Mina, is even more strongly recommended than on the road to Makkah. Going on foot, in conjunction with putting on the Ihram (entering the state of consecration) on leaving home, is said by some to constitute completion of Pilgrimage. Such was the construction put by Umar, Ali and Ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with them, on the world of Allah, the Almighty: And fulfill the Pilgrimage (Hajj) and the Visitation (Umrah) for Allah (Koran 2 verse 196) On the other hand, some scholars maintain that transport is better, in view of the outlay and provision involved and because it is less disturbing and painful and more conducive to a safe completion of the Pilgrimage. This second opinion does not really contradict the first; one must consider, which applies to a particular case. It is said that for one who can easily walk it is better to do so, whereas transport would be preferable if he were weak, and if going on foot might affect him badly and restrict him in the performance of his duties. There is a parallel here with Fasting, which is better kept up even by the traveler and the invalid, unless it would cause weakness and bad temper. A certain scholar was asked whether, in the Visitation (Umra) one should go on foot or spend a little money on hiring a donkey. He replied that if one is attached to the money, it is better to hire the donkey than to walk. But if walking is the more serious matter, as for the rich, then walking is to be preferred. There is something to be said for this view, which seems to make it a question of self-discipline. The best course of all, however, is to walk and spend the money on charity; this is more superior to spending it on hiring a donkey. But for those who are incapable of giving up both personal comfort and their money, the opinion cited above is not inappropriate. Modesty and Simplicity of Transport 6. The Pilgrim should take a simple riding beast for transport, abstaining from being carried in a litter unless there is a reason to fear that he could not ride the animal. There are two considerations here: (a) sparing the camel the pain of bearing a litter; (b) avoiding an air of ostentatious luxury, the Messenger of Allah made the Pilgrimage on a riding camel, with a worn saddle and tattered pad, the cost of it being four dirhams. He made the circumambulation on the camel, so that people could observe his comportment and conduct. The Prophet said: Take your rituals from me. They say these camel litters were an innovation introduced by Pilgrims over the protests of the scholars of the day. Sufyan al-Thawri reports his father as saying: En route from Kufa to Qadisiya, bound for Pilgrimage, I caught up with traveling companions from many lands. All the Pilgrims I saw had beasts of burden, animals carrying luggage, and riding camels; among them I spotted no more than two litters. When Ibn Umar noticed the new styles and the litters introduced by the Pilgrims, he would say: Few Pilgrims, many riders! Then he would look at a poor man, shabbily dressed and mounted atop some sacks, and say: This is the cream of the Pilgrims! Dress and Appearance 7. The Pilgrim should be suitably dressed, not over adorned nor inclined to things that excite vainglory and rivalry, thereby enrolling among the arrogant and the opulent and parting company with the weak, the poor and the righteous. For The Messenger of Allah ordained suitable dress and banned indulgence and luxury, according to the Tradition of Fadala ibn Ubayd. As another Tradition puts is: The Pilgrim is nothing if not suitably dressed. Allah, the Almighty said: let them attend to their personal cleanliness (Koran 22 verse 29) Their personal cleanliness is attended to by shaving, trimming the moustache and clipping the nails. Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to the army commanders: Be smooth and be rough! i.e. wear worn out clothes and manage things roughly. It has been said that the best Pilgrims are those from the Yemen, on account of their humble and gentle ways and because they follow the example set by the elders. Red is to be avoided, especially in attire, as is commonplace notoriety. It is related that The Messenger of Allah was once on a journey when his Companions made a halt. As the camels were grazing, he noticed the red cloth on their humps. The Prophet said: I see this color red has got the better of you! Said the Companions; We therefore got up and removed the red cloth from their backs, until some of the camels bolted. Kindness To Beasts of Burden 8.The Pilgrim must be kind to animals, taking care not to overload them. It is beyond their capacity to carry a litter, and sleeping in one of them imposes an intolerable weight. Pious people would not sleep on the back of an animal, unless they happened to doze off while riding. Nor would they stay mounted for long while the animal was kept standing. The Prophet said: Do not treat the backs of your animals as chairs! It is recommended that one dismount both morning and evening to give ones beast a rest, following the Prophetic example and the precedent of the elders. One of the elders used to take an animal on hire with the stipulation that he would not dismount. Having paid the full price of hire, he would then get of the beast in order to do it a kindness, one that would be counted among his good deeds and weighed in his scales of the balance, not that of the owner. Whoever harms a dumb creature and overloads it will be called to account for this on the Day of Resurrection. As he was dying, Abul Darda said to a camel of his: Camel, do not complain of me to your Lord, for I have never overloaded you. In short, in every warm heart there lies a reward, so the right of the beast and the right of the hirer should both be respected; to dismount for a spell provides the animal with relief and pleases its hirer at the same time. A man once said to ibn al-Mubarak: Carry this letter for me and deliver it. But he replied: Let me first check with the camel driver, for I have taken the animal on hire. Note how cautious he was even about taking with him a virtually weightless letter! This is the prudent approach to piety, for once a door is ajar it gradually opens wider. Sacrificing Animals 9.The Pilgrim ought to shed the blood of a sacrificial animal, even if it is not strictly incumbent upon him to do so, endeavoring to find a fine fat creature for the purpose. If the offering is voluntary he should eat some of it, but not if it is an obligatory sacrifice. The words of Allah, the Almighty: Suchand whoever does his utmost in the offerings consecrated to Allah (Koran 22 verse 32) Have been interpreted as referring to the choice of a fine fat sacrificial animal. It is preferable to drive the offering in from the assembly point, provided this is not too inconvenient and troublesome. One should refuse to pay sales taxes, for three things get over priced and reprehensively taxed; offerings, sacrificial slaughtering and slaves to be emancipated, since the best of these are the costliest and most precious to their owners. According to Ibn Umar, Umar was going to sacrifice a Bactrian camel. He was offered a price of three hundred dinars, so he asked The Messenger of Allah if he should sell it and use the money to buy several other animals, but he told him not to do that, saying: No sacrifice it! The reason for this is that a little of what is excellent is better than much of what is inferior. Thirty beasts could have been purchased for three hundred dinars, which would have represented a lot of meat. But the meat is not the object. The object is to purify the soul, to cleanse it of stinginess and to adorn it with the beauty of reverence for Allah, the Almighty, for: It is not their flesh that reaches Allah, nor their blood, but that, which reaches Allah is your piety (Koran 22 verse 37) This devotion is shown by regard for excellence of quality in value, be the quantity great or small. When th eMessenger of Allah was asked what makes for a blessed Pilgrimage, he said: al-ajj wa-Ithajj (clamour and torrent). Clamour refers to the loud voice used in calling: labbayk (At Your service Lord!), while torrent refers to the flow of blood at the slaughter of a sacrifice. Aisha said: No human action on the day of slaughter is dearer to Allah, the Almighty than the shedding of blood, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection with its horns and its hooves; the blood will fall to some point at, which Allah, the Almighty will stop it reaching the ground. So rejoice with it! According to another Tradition: There is a bounty for you in every hair of its hide, and every drop of blood counts as a good deed to be weighed in the balance, so be of good cheer! The Prophet also said: Seek the aid of your sacrificial offering, for they will be your mounts on the Day of Resurrection. Equanimity 10. The Pilgrim should face with equanimity the expense he incurs to provision himself and acquire as offering, as well as any financial or physical loss or mishap that may befall him, for that is one of the signs that his Pilgrimage is accepted. Misfortune on the way to Pilgrimage is equated with expenditure in the cause of Allah, every penny being worth seven hundred. It is comparable to the rigours encountered en route to the Jihad, so for every hardship endured and for every loss suffered there is recompense and nothing is lost in the sigh of Allah, the Almighty. One indication that a Pilgrimage has been accepted, they say, is when a Pilgrim abandons his sinful ways, exchanging his idle companions for righteous brothers, and forsaking haunts of frivolity and heedlessness in favor of gatherings for remembrance and vigilance. Inner States at Various Stages of Hajj The role of sincerity in intention. The way to respect the noble shrines, the manner in, which to contemplate them and to reflect upon their mysteries and meanings, from the start of the Pilgrimage to the end. The Pilgrimage begins with understanding, by, which I mean the understanding of its place in the religion. The subsequent steps are then; yearning for it; resolving upon it; severing the ties that keep one from it; acquiring the seamless garments to be worn during consecration 9ihram); purchasing the necessary provisions; hiring transport; setting out from home; crossing the desert; consecration at the assembly point, with the cry of Labbayk (at Your service Lord!); the entry into Makkah, and then the completion of all rites of Pilgrimage. Every one of these steps serves as reminder to the mindful, a lesson to the heedful, an exhortation to the faithful aspirant, an instruction and indication to the sagacious. Let us therefore signify their key points, so that when the door to them is opened and the reasons know, some of their mysteries may be revealed to every Pilgrim, sufficient to afford him tranquility of heart, inner purity and fullness of understanding. Understanding As for understanding it must be realized that there is no way of attaining to Allah, the Almighty except by divesting oneself of desires, abstaining from pleasures, confining oneself to necessities and devoting oneself exclusively to Allah in every movement and rest. It was for this reason that the ascetics of previous religions used to isolate themselves from the people, retiring to mountain caves and preferring solitude to the company of others, in quest of intimacy with Allah, the Almighty. For the sake of Allah, Great and Glorious is He, they forsook worldly pleasures and applied themselves to strenuous exertions in pursuit of the Hereafter. Allah commends them in His Book, where He says: This is because there are among them men who are dedicated to learning, and men who renounce this worldly life, and they are not arrogant. (Koran 5 verse 82) But when all that had vanished, and the people had become interested only in chasing their desires, shunning exclusive devotion to Allah, the Almighty, and getting lax about it, then Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad to revive the Way of the Hereafter and to renew the method of traveling along it in accordance with the practice of Envoys of Allah. Members of the earlier religious communities asked The Messenger of Allah if the ways of the monks and anchorites were followed in his religion and he replied: Allah has replaced them for us with the Jihad and the declarations of His supremacy on every elevated place. (Alluding to the Pilgrimage.) When asked about the anchorites, the Messenger of Allah said: They are the ones who Fast. So Allah, the Almighty has favored this Community by making the Pilgrimage its form of monasticism and has honored the Kabah, the Ancient House, by calling it His own. He has made it a goal for His servants consecrating its surround as a sanctuary for His House and for the Glory of His cause. He has made Arafat as it were the pipe supplying water to the pool of His heavenly court. He has emphasized the dignity of the place by declaring its game and its trees inviolate. He has modeled it on a royal court, the goal of visitors from every deep ravine and every distant scene, who disheveled, dusty and humble to the Lord of the House, meekly submissive to His Majesty and might, (acknowledging, of course, that He is beyond being contained by any house or confined to any town) so that their homage and adoration may be more intense, their compliance and obedience more perfect. That is why they have been enjoined to perform there certain actions to, which the soul does not readily conform, and the significance of, which is not easily grasped by the mind, like the stoning of the pillars and the running back and forth several times between al-Safa and al-Marwa. The Pilgrim demonstrates through such actions the perfection of his homage and adoration. The Zakat has the rational appeal of an intelligible humane purpose. Fasting breaks the hold of desire, which is the tool of the enemy of Allah, and is conducive to worship because it dispels distraction. Bowing and prostrating in ritual prayer promote humility toward Allah the Almighty, through actions symbolic of humility, and the soul enjoys intimacy in the veneration of Allah, the Almighty. In actions like running to and fro or throwing pebbles, on the other hand, there is no pleasure or satisfaction and nothing to suggest any rational significance. The sole inducement to perform them is therefore the command itself and the intention to comply with it inasmuch as it is an order that must be obeyed. Deflected from where its comfort lies; for if this was something readily comprehensible to the mind, there would be a natural inclination towards it. That inclination would then back up the command and provide an added incentive to act upon it, in, which case it would hardly represent a perfect demonstration of homage and obedience. This is why The Messenger of Allah singled out the Pilgrimage when he said: Doubly at Your service, through a Pilgrimage in truth, devotion and homage! He did not say that about ritual prayer or any other act of worship. If it were necessary to question the wisdom of Allah, the Almighty in linking our salvation to actions that run counter to natural inclination and that are subject to the control of the Sacred Law, we would vacillate in the practice of obedience and following the dictates of submission. The performance of inexplicable duties is a form of devotion most effective in purifying the soul, and in deflecting it from its natural propensities into the habit of servitude. If you have grasped this, you will have understood that perplexity concerning these strange actions stems from inattention to the mysteries of devotions. This much will suffice, Allah willing, to impart an understanding of the essence of the Pilgrimage. Yearning As for yearning; this arises only after understanding and the realization that the House is truly a House of Allah, the Almighty, that it is modeled on the royal court so that he who goes there goes as a visitor of Allah, and that he who goes to the House in this world deserves that his visit should not be in vain. He will be accorded the object of his visit at the time appointed for him, namely the vision of the Noble Countenance of Allah in the abode of eternity. For the inadequate mortal eye we possess in this earthly abode is unfitted to receive vision of the Face of Allah, the Almighty, lacking the capacity to bear it or the equipment to take it in. But in the abode of the Hereafter, when it has been granted perpetuity and immunity to the causes of change and decay, it will be prepared for that vision and sight. Meanwhile, by taking oneself to the House and beholding it, one earns the right to meet the Lord of the House in accordance with the noble promise. To be sure, the yearning to meet with Allah, the Almighty creates a longing for all that will lead to that meeting; for the lover craves everything in any way connected with his beloved. The House is connected with Allah, the Almighty, so this connections is surely enough in itself to make one yearn for it, quite apart from the wish to attain the abundant reward that is promised. Resolve As for resolve; the Pilgrim should be aware that by his resolve he is purposing to leave his family and homeland behind, forsaking pleasures and desires as he sets out to visit the House of Allah, the Almighty. He should hold in high esteem both the House and the Lord of the House. He must know that he has resolved upon a matter of high consequence and an affair of great moment. Where great things are at stake, the risks are also greatest, He should make sure his resolve is purely for the sake of Allah, untarnished by hypocrisy and desire for fame. Let him be fully aware that only what is sincere in his intention and action will find acceptance, and that there is no offence more outrageous than to visit the House of Allah and His Santcuary for ulterior motive. He should check with himself to verify his resolve; the verification is his sincerity, and his sincerity lies in shunning all taint of hypocrisy and desire for fame. Let him therefore be careful to replace what is unworthy with something better. Severing Ties As for severing ties; this means the rejection of all iniquities and sincere repentance to Allah for all acts of disobedience, for each iniquity is a tie, and every tie is like having a creditor with you, clinging to your collar. He cries: Where are you heading for? Are you bound for the House of the King of kings, when you are neglecting His command here at home, belittling and ignoring it? Are you not ashamed to approach Him as a disobedient servant, since He will reject you and refuse you? So if you hope to have your visit accepted you should carry out His commandments, cast off iniquities, repent to Him first of all for all acts of disobedience, and sever your hearts connection from concern with what is behind you. You can then turn your face to Him, as you turn your visible face in the direction of His House. Unless you do this, you will get nothing from your journey except trouble and hardship at the outset and dismissal and rejection at the end. The Pilgrim should sever all ties with his homeland, cutting himself off completely as if he were going to exile, never to return, He should also write down his will and testament for his children and family, for the traveler and his money are at risk unless protected by Allah, the Almighty. While severing ties for the journey of Pilgrimage, one should also remember to be detached for the journey to the Hereafter, for that is soon to come. All that is suggested for this earthly journey is desirable in preparation of the other, which is to eternity and the ultimate return. One should therefore not be heedless of that final journey while getting ready for the Pilgrimage. Provisions As for provisions; these must be from a lawful source. If the Pilgrim feels himself impelled to take a lot, seeking enough to last him the whole journey without spoiling of going bad before he reaches his destination, let him remember that the journey to the Hereafter is a much longer one than this and that the provision for it is true piety. Apart from piety, whatever one supposes to be provision will be left behind when you die, leaving you in the lurch. It will no more keep than the fresh food that goes bad on the first leg of the journey, leaving one dismayed and helpless in the moment of need. Beware therefore, in case the deeds, which make up your provision for the Hereafter do not go with you after death, but get spoiled instead by the taint of hypocrisy and the turbidity of remissness. Transport As for transport; when the Pilgrim procures a riding beast, he should give heartfelt thanks to Allah, the Almighty for putting animals at his disposal to relieve him of pain and hardship. At the same time he should call to mind the vehicle that will carry him to the abode of the Hereafter, namely his coffin, for the Pilgrimage presents a certain parallel to the final journey. He should therefore consider whether the journey he is about to make, riding his mount, will help to equip him for that other journey aboard that other vehicle. How close at hand it is! For all he knows, death may be so near that he will be riding the coffin before he has time to ride the camel. The coffin ride is a certainty, whereas there is doubt about whether one can secure all ones needs for this trip. So where is the point in making careful preparations to equip oneself with provisions and transport for a doubtful journey, while neglecting the matter of one that is sure and certain? Purchase of Ihram As for the purchase of the two seamless garments of consecration; when buying his ihram the Pilgrim should recall the shroud in, which he will be wrapped for burial. When he nears the House of Allah, the Almighty, he will put on the two sheets, wearing one of them over one shoulder and the other as a sarong. While he may never finish his journey to the House of Allah, what is certain is that he must go to meet Allah, the Almighty, wrapped in the cloth of the shroud. He should therefore remember; just as he goes to meet the House of Allah, the Almighty, in unusual garb and attire, so after death he must go to meet Allah, the Almighty dressed in a different fashion from that of this world. And the Pilgrim garb is close to the other, being unstitched like the shroud. Leaving Home As for leaving home; the Pilgrim should know that he has now left hearth and home, bound for Allah, the Almighty on a journey unlike any worldly voyage. He should be conscious in his heart of what he wishes, where he is heading and Whom he intends to visit. He should be aware that he is wending his way toward the King of kings, along with a host of visitors who have been summoned and have answered the call, in whom a great longing has been awakened, who have been roused and have risen, who have severed connections and said farewell to relations, and who have set out for the House of Allah, the Almighty, which is splendid in majesty and lofty esteem. To encounter the House consoles them for not meeting its Lord, till they are granted their ultimate wish and rejoice in the contemplation of their Master. The Pilgrim should also nourish in his heart the hope of attainment and of finding acceptance, not by virtue of his deeds in faring far from his family and property, but through trust in the bounty of Allah, the Almighty, and in hope of confirming His promise to those who wish to visit His House. He should nurture the hope that if fate overtakes him en route and he does not arrive, he will meet Allah, the Almighty, coming to Him, since He says in the Glorious Koran: whosever goes out from his house migrating to Allah and His Messenger, then death overtakes him, his reward becomes due and sure with Allah (Koran 4 verse 100) Crossing The Desert As for crossing the desert to the assembly point, with all attendant hardships; the Pilgrim should there recall the crossing at death between this world and the assembly point on the Day of Resurrection, with the terrors and trials that intervene. The terror of highway robbers should remind him of the terror of the inquisition by Munkar and Nakir (two angels who question the dead in the grave); the savage beasts of the desert should make him think of the scorpions and worms of the tome, with its vipers and serpents; his separation from his family and relatives should put him in mind of the desolation of the tomb, of its agony and solitude. Through all these terrors he should equip himself by word and deed for the horrors of the tomb. Putting on Ihram and crying Labbayk As for donning the garb of consecration and crying Labbayk from the assembly point onwards: the Pilgrim should know that this signifies a response to the summons of Allah, the Almighty, therefore, to be accepted and dread being told: No favor or fortune for you! Oscillate between hope and fear; rid yourself of your power and strength, and rely on the grace and generosity of Allah, the Almighty. The moment of talbiya (calling Labbayk) is the real starting point; this is the critical instant. Sufyan ibn Uyayna said: Ali, the son of al-Husayn once went on Pilgrimage. When he had put on his ihram and his camel was ready for him to ride, he suddenly turned pale and began to tremble. He shivered and quaked and could not utter Labbayk, and when they asked him what was wrong he said: I dread being told: No favor or fortune for you! When he did eventually cry Labbayk, he fainted and fell from his camel. This kept on happening to him until he had completed his Pilgrimage. Ahmad ibn Abil Hawari said: I was with Abou Salayman al-Darani when he wished to enter the state of consecration. He did not utter Labbayk until we had traveled a whole mile. He fell in a swoon, saying when he came round: Ahmad! Allah, the Almighty, inspired to Moses: Tell the wrongdoers among the Children of Israel to remember Me seldom, for I shall remember with a curse those of them who remember Me. Alas, Ahmad, I have hear that to those who make Pilgrimage on ill gotten gains, Allah says: No favor or fortune for you, until you return what you have in hand. And we cannot be sure that this will not be said to us. On raising his voice at the assembly point with the cry of Labbayk, the Pilgrim should recall that he is responding to the summons of Allah, the Almighty, as He said: And proclaim the Pilgrimage among people (Koran 22 verse 27) He should also recall that mankind will be summoned by the trumpets blast, gathered up from the tomb and crowded together at the site of the Resurrection, responding to the call of Allah, divided into the favored and the abhorred, the accepted and the rejected, and oscillating initially between fear and hope; like the Pilgrims at the assembly point, when they do not know whether or not they will be enabled to complete the Pilgrimage and have it accepted. Entering Makkah As for entering Makkah; the Pilgrim should remember at this time that he has arrived safely at the Sanctuary of Allah. As he enters he should hope to be safe from the punishment of Allah and should dread not being worthy to approach Him, for in that case his entry into the Sanctuary would leave him frustrated and fit to be abhorred. At all times his hope should be uppermost, for Allah generosity is comprehensive, the Lord is Compassionate, the honor of the House is tremendous, the visitors right is respected, and protection is secure for all who seek refuge. Seeing the Kabah As for setting eyes upon the House; at this moment the Pilgrim should be conscious in his heart of the majesty of the House, venerating it with such intensity that he seems to anticipate beholding the Lord of the House. He should hope that Allah will grant him the vision of His noble countenance, just as He has afforded him the sight of His mighty House. Thank Allah, Great and Glorious is, for bringing you to this high degree, and for including you in the company of those who reach Him. Remember at the same time how at the Resurrection people will stream towards Paradise, all hoping to enter there, and how they will be divided into those who are admitted and those who are turned away, just as the Pilgrims are divided into the accepted and the rejected. In all that you see, take care to recall the things of the Hereafter, for every aspect of the Pilgrimage reflects some aspect of the Hereafter. Circumambulating the House (Tawaf) As for the circumambulation of the House; realize that it is a ritual prayer. While making it, you should fill your heart with reverence, fear, hope and love. Know that in your circuit you resemble the angels near the Divine Presence, who ring the Throne and circle around it. Do not suppose the purpose to be your bodily circumambulation of the House. No, the true purpose is the circling by your heart in remembrance of the Lord of the House, till remembering begins with Him alone and ends with Him alone, just as the circumambulation starts from the House and ends at the House. Know that the noble circumambulation is the circling by the heart in the Divine presence, and that the House is the external symbol in the visible world for the unseen Divine court, which lies in the invisible universe. This parallel is suggested by the correspondence between the Populous House (al-bay al-mamur) in Heaven and the Kabah. The heavenly circling of the angels is like the human circumambulation of this House, but since most people are incapable of achieving that level of circumambulation, they have been commanded to imitate as best they can, with the promise that: He who imitates a set of people is one of them. Of those who are capable of that kind of circumambulation, it is said that the Kabah visits them and makes circuit around them; visionaries have seen this happen to certain intimates of Allah, the Almighty. Standing at Multazam As for clinging to the coverings of the Kabah, and pressing ones breast against its wall (at the part called al-multazam): your intention in the latter should be to draw close in love and yearning to the House and the Lord of the House, seeking grace through the contact and hoping for immunity from the Fire, not in the House but in every part of your body. In clinging to the coverings of the Kabah, your intention should be earnestly to seek forgiveness and to beg for mercy, just as one who has sinned against another will cling to his clothes while imploring his pardon, demonstrating that he has no refuge or recourse except to his munificence and forgiveness and that he will not let go until he is granted pardon and the assurance of future protection. Running Between Al-Safa and Al-Marwa (Say) As for running betweent al-Safa and al-Marwa in the courtyard of the House; this resembles the constant to-ing and fro-ing of a servant in a royal palace. The Pilgrim demonstrates devotion to duty and hopes to be viewed with compassion, just like one who enters the presence of a king and leaves without knowing whether the sovereign has decided to accept or reject him. He keeps going back across the courtyard time after time, hoping to receive mercy the second time if not the first. While gong back and forth between al-Safa and al-Marwa, the Pilgrim should recall how he will oscillate between the two scales of the Balance at the site of the Resurrection. He should let al-Safa represent the scale of good deeds and al-Marwa the scale of bad deeds. Let him recall how he shall go from one of these to the other, seeing, which is heavier or lighter, fluctuating between punishment and forgiveness. Standing at Arafat As for standing at Arafat; recall when you behold thronging crowds, hear the loud voices speaking in many tongues, and see the various groups following their Imams through the ritual observances, matching their actions to theirs, recall the site of the Resurrection; the gathering of the communities with their Prophets and leaders, each community following its Prophet, aspiring after his intercession, all wavering with equal uncertainty between rejection and acceptance. After that recollection, set your heart on supplication and entreaty to Allah, that you may be resurrected in the company of the mercifully successful; make certain your hope of being answered, for the place is noble and mercy reaches all creatures from the majesty of the Divine presence through the venerable hearts of the mainstays of the earth. The standing place is never devoid of a generation of the saintly and holy, nor a generation of the righteous and magnanimous. When their aspirations are joined, their hearts devoted exclusively to humble supplication and entreaty, their hands raised to Allah, their necks outstretched and their eyes turned heavenward, as they aspire of one accord in quest of mercy, do not suppose that He will disappoint their hopes, frustrate their endeavor or begrudge them an overwhelming mercy. That is why it is said that it is a most grievous sin to be present at Arafat and to imagine that Allah does not forgive one. It would seem that the conjugation of aspirations, and the strength derived from contiguity with the saintly and holy people assembled from all quarters of the earth, constitute the secret of the Pilgrimage and its ultimate purpose, for there is no way to obtain the mercy of Allah, the Almighty in such abundance as by the conjugation of aspiration and the simultaneous mutual support of all hearts. Casting Pebbles (Ramy) As for the casting of pebbles (at pillars representing the Devil); your purpose in this should be obedience to the Divine command, to demonstrate submissiveness and servitude and readiness to comply without any obvious rational or psychological justification. It should also be ones intention to imitate Ibrahim, on him be peace, since it was in this place that Iblis, on him be the curse of Allah, the Almighty, appeared to him to insinuate doubt about his Pilgrimage or tempt him to disobey, whereupon Allah, the Almighty commanded him to throw stones at him to repel him and thwart his design. If it should occur to you to think: Satan appeared to him and he actually saw him that was why he stoned him but the Devil is not showing himself to me, you must realize that this very notion comes from the Devil; it is he who has lodged it in your heart, to weaken your determination in casting stones, to make you imagine that it is a useless action, like some kind of game, so why should you bother with it? Therefore you must drive him from your soul by being earnest and brisk in stone him, putting the Devils nose out of joint. You should be aware that, while outwardly casting pebbles at the pillar, you are really throwing them in the face of Satan and dealing him a mortal blow, for the only way to spite him is through your compliance with the command of Allah, the Almighty in simple deference to His order without psychological or intellectual justification. Sacrificing Animals As for the slaughter of the sacrificial offering; be aware that this is a means of drawing close to Allah, the Almighty by virtue of obedience, so make the sacrifice perfect and hope that for every part of it Allah will deliver part of you from the Fire. A promise to this effect has come down to us. The bigger the sacrificial animal and the more ample its parts, therefore, the more comprehensive your redemption from the Fire. Visiting Madinah As for the visit to Madinah; when your eyes alight on the city walls, remember that this is the town, which Allah, the Almighty selected for His Prophet, that he made it the goal of his migration, that this was his home where he promulgated the binding decrees of his Lord Almighty, established his own exemplary precedents, strove against his foes and proclaimed his religion until Allah, the Almighty took him to Himself. It then came to house his tomb, and the tombs of two of his aides who upheld the truth after him, may Allah be pleased with them. Envisage, next, the footprints of The Messenger of Allah, on him be peace, as he went about the city. Aware that his precious feet have trodden in every place where feet may tread, you must walk with dignity and caution. Recall how he used to walk about its streets, picturing to yourself f his humility and his graceful gait. Think of the tremendous wisdom Allah, the Almighty entrusted to his heart, how He has exalted his memory along with His own, even linking remembrance of him to remembrance of Himself, and how He frustrated the work of those who showed him disrespect, if only by raising their voices about his. Reflect then on the great favor Allah bestowed on those who enjoyed his fellowship, and who were so fortunate as to see him in the flesh and to hear him speak. You should feel a great regret at having missed his companionship, and that of his Companions. Go on to recall how you have missed seeing him in the Hereafter. Perhaps you will see him, but only in remorse, prevented from being accepted by him because of your evil conduct, for as he said: Allah will raise certain people to me and they will say: O Muhammad! I shall say: Lord these are my Companions. But He will say: You do not know what practices they introduced after you had left them. Then I shall say: Let them be far removed from me. If you have ceased to respect his Sacred Law, be it only for one instance, you have no guarantee that you will not be debarred from him because of your deviation from his way. Great should be your hope, nonetheless, that Allah, the Almighty will not keep you from him after He has granted you faith and sent you forth from your homeland in order to visit him, not for purposes of trade or worldly gain, but purely from love of him and longing to behold his relics and the wall of his tomb. Since you embarked on this journey for that reason alone, having missed the opportunity of seeing him in the flesh, you surely deserve the Most Merciful regard of Allah, the Almighty. On reaching the Mosque, you should recall that this is the site selected by Allah, the Almighty, for His Prophet and for the first and most virtuous of the Muslims. Remember that the laws decreed by Allah, the Almighty were first observed at this spot, and that the best of the creatures of Allah, living or dead, have gathered here. Be most hopeful, therefore, that Allah, the Almighty, will mercifully bless your entrance, and make that entrance in all humility and veneration. How worthy is this place to inspire humility in the heart of every believer! As Abou Sulayman is reported to have said: Uways al-Qarani went on Pilgrimage and entered Madinah. When he stood at the gate of the Mosque he was told: This is the tomb of the Prophet. He fell in a faint, and when he revived he said: Send me away, for I cannot enjoy myself in a town where Muhammad lies buried! Visiting The Messenger of Allah As for visiting The Messenger of Allah you must stand before him in the manner we have described, visiting him in death as you would have visited him in life. Do not approach his tomb except as you would have approached his noble person if he had been alive. Just as you would have considered it respectful to refrain from touching or kissing his person, rather standing back and bowing before him, you should now act accordingly. Touching and kissing tombs is a custom of Christians and Jews. Realize that he is aware of your presence, of your standing there and of your visit; that he is receiving your greeting and benediction. Imagine his noble form as it lies in the tomb in front of you. Feel in your heart his tremendous dignity. For he is reported as saying that Allah, the Almighty has appointed to his tomb an angle who conveys to him the salutations of those members of his community who salute him. This refers to those who are not actually present, so how about hose who leave home and cross desert wastes from longing to meet him, content merely to behold his noble shrine since they have no possibility of witnessing his noble countenance? He said: When someone blesses me once, Allah blesses him ten times. This refers to the reward for oral benediction, so how about the reward for coming in person to visit him? Next, you should go to the pulpit of The Messenger of Allah imagining you can see the Prophet ascending it. Picture to yourself his radiant appearance, as if he were there on the pulpit, surrounded by the Emigrants and Helpers as he urges them in his sermon to be obedient to Allah. Ask Allah, the Almighty not to part you from him at the Resurrection. Conclusions Such are the duties of the heart at all stages of the Pilgrimage. When all have been completed, your heart should be beset with sadness, anxiety and fear, for you do not know whether you have had your Pilgrimage accepted and been firmly placed in the company of the loved one, or had your Pilgrimage rejected and been included among the outcasts. The Pilgrim should discover this from his heart and its conduct. If he finds his heart extremely adverse to this world of delusion and inclined to that of intimacy with Allah, the Almighty, and if he finds its conduct to have been weighed with the balance of the Sacred Law, then he may count on acceptance, for Allah accepts only those He loves. To those He loves He extends His care and the marks of His affection, guarding them from the onslaught of His enemy Iblis, on him be the curse of Allah. If these things are apparent, they point to acceptance. Otherwise it would seem likely that the Pilgrim has nothing to show for his journey but trouble and toil. From that we seek refuge with Allah, the Almighty. The Eighth Book The Rules of Reading the Koran Chapter One The excellence of the Koran and the people Of it, the blameworthiness of those who do not Recite it The Virtue of the Koran The Prophet - may Allah praise and venerate him - said: The people of the Koran are the people of Allah and His chosen ones. The Prophet also said: The heart becomes rusted, as the iron rusts. It was asked O Messenger of Allah, what polishes it? So he said: Reciting the Koran and the remembrance of death. The Prophet also said: Allah High Exalted listens in admiration to the one who recites the Koran. Ibn Masud said: If you seek knowledge then read the Koran, because it contains the knowledge of the first and the last. Al Fadil ibn Ayad said: The one whose memorizes the Koran by heart is in need of no one, he does not need the rightly guided Caliphs nor those who came after them, but the people should turn to him in their need. Al Hasan said: By Allah, without the Koran you will not be sufficed, but if you have it you will suffer no poverty. The Koran is the concrete tangible Word of Allah. The Koran identifies itself to us and tells us that Allah is its Author, as Allah tells us in Surah 55 verses 1 and 2: Allah the Merciful has taught the Koran. No being can aspire to express the Message of Allah as He has done, therefore no translation of the meaning of the Koran can ever achieve the perfection and degree of expression of the Arabic in, which it was revealed. That is a task beyond human capability, therefore translations of the meaning of the Koran into any language should not be thought of as the Koran. The Koran exists exactly as it was revealed in its original Arabic language 1417 years ago, and it will remain exactly the same for all time as the final Message of Allah to all mankind. Allah says in the Koran in chapter 15 verse 9: We are the One Who has revealed the Koran, and We will most surely preserve it. There are no versions of the Koran, a translation is merely an attempt to convey the meaning of the Koran, it is a choice of words, different translators may use different words in order to convey the same meaning, but this does not mean that these translations are versions, only the Arabic text is the Koran. Allah tells us in Surah 20 verse 113: Thus We have revealed it an Arabic Koran. Chapter Two The External Manners of the One Who Recites the Koran These are ten: The condition of the one who recites: He should be in a pure state, standing in a respectful and serene way, he may stand or sit, turning towards the Qibla with his head slightly inclined. He should not sit cross legged, nor reclining, nor in a haughty manner. The portion, which should be read: The reciters have different habits in the amount they recite, some recite more than others, among them are those who complete the Koran in one day and night, and others who recite twice a day, some recite three times a day, and some take one month to complete the Koran. The method of dividing the Koran into parts: The one who completes the Koran once a week divides it into seven parts, as the Companions of the Prophet sectioned the Koran into parts. It was related that Uthman ibn Affan - may Allah be pleased with him - used to start the Koran on the night of al jumman (Friday) by reciting Chapter The Heifer and recite until Chapter Al Maidah, and on Saturday night with Chapter The Cattle until Chapter Hood. On the night of Sunday from Yusuf till Marium and on Monday night from Ta Ha until The Narratives. On Tuesday night he would recite from Chapter The Spider until Saad and on Wednesday night from The Companies to The Merciful, and on Thursday he would complete the rest of the Koran. In writing the Koran it is preferable to inscribe the Koran in a beautiful and clear script. Inserting the diacritics is important as they are not only decorative but they function to clarify the meaning of the words and prevent their incorrect pronunciation. The recital: It is preferable for the Koran to be recited rather than simply read, as what is gained from reciting it is a deeper reflection upon the content. For this reason Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) described the Prophets recital of the Koran saying: It was a recital in, which every letter was crystal clear. Weeping: Weeping is preferable with the recital of the Koran. The Prophet said: Recite the Koran and weep. If you do not weep then try to. The due right of each verse should be observed: so if you recite a verse in, which a sajdah (prostration) is mentioned then you should prostrate. Also if you hear a verse mentioning sajdah during a recital made by someone else, then you should prostrate, however, you should not prostrate unless you are in a pure state. Before the recital: One should say I seek refuge in Allah, the All Hearing, the All Knowing, from the accursed Satan, My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the prompting of the Satans And I seek refuge in You my Lord from their presence. One should then read: I seek refuge in the Lord of Mankind and the Surah of The Opening, and on completing his recitation he should say: Allah Most Exalted has spoken the truth and His Messenger has conveyed that truth, Lord let us benefit from it and bless us in it, praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds and I beg the forgiveness of Allah, the Ever Living, the Everlasting. Regarding the reciting aloud: There is no doubt one must recite the Koran aloud to the extent that one should here oneself while reciting it. Reading is in fact the division of the letters into sounds. Improving the reading and reciting it in undulating tones without drawing out the words excessively: This is the way of the Sunnah. The Prophet said: Enhance the Koran with your voice, and he also said: Allah does not permit anything as much as He permits the enhancement of the Koran with a beautiful voice. Chapter Three Inner States during Recital of the Koran These are ten: To comprehend the greatness and nobility of the Koran and the blessings and compassion of Allah to His creatures in sending down the Koran from His Throne of Majesty to the extent of enabling His creatures to comprehend it. When the reciter begins his recital he must hold in his heart a feeling of awe towards whose word it is and be aware that it is not the word of any human, that he is reciting the very word of Allah, that it is the most honorable of recitations. Allah, the Almighty said: Which none but the purified touch. (Koran 56 verse 79) The reciter should be fully attentive and dedicated to what he is reciting, Allah, the Almighty has said O Yahya take the Book with a firm resolve (Koran 19 verse 12). This means that the Koran should be taken seriously with complete intent. Taking it seriously means that you should not allow your thoughts to wander while reciting the Koran. The reciter should reflect upon its meaning as he recites, and he should not think of other things while reading it. His hearing should be receptive only to the sound of his own voice reading the Koran. For this reason it was Sunnah that the Koran should be recited because its recital out loud permits the reflection in the inner self. Ali - may Allah be pleased with him - said: There is no goodness in worship, which is lacking in fiqh, nor in reciting without reflection. Interpretation: The reciter should make clear every verse as it is intended, as the Koran contains mention of Allah, the Almighty and His Most Beautiful Names, His Commands and mention of the prophets and their circumstances as well as the circumstances of the unbelievers and how they were destroyed, together with mention of Heaven and Hell. Avoidance. The reciter must avoid removing himself from the remembrance of Allah, when a man removes himself far from the remembrance of Allah, the Almighty he loses his sight and his hearts ability to perceive the truth and becomes closer to the falsehood, which is an obstacle to understanding like a veil. The Prophet said: If it were not for the Devil hovering around the hearts of the sons of Adam, they would have been able to see the Dominion of Allah, the Almighty. The meaning of the Koran is from the Dominion of Allah, the Almighty and whatever the human sense cannot encompass or see except by the light of faith, is from the Dominion of Allah High Exalted. The veils, which prevent understanding are four: First: If the intention is only to produce an attractive sound without comprehending the meaning. Second: If the reciter imitates a way of recital he has heard and is bent on using it, and he becomes extreme in its use without questioning it. Third: If he insists in committing sin out of arrogance, and runs by his lusts in order to gain the praise of the people. The cause for this is the darkness of the heart and its rust, it is like the grime on the mirror, which prevents true reflection. Fourth: If he has read a superficial interpretation of the Koran and he believes that there is no interpretation for the words of the Koran except what has been narrated by ibn Abbas or Mujahad and others, and any interpretation other than that is subject to his own opinion. You should know that whoever interprets Koran according to his own opinion has confirmed for himself a place in Hell Fire. This is also from the dangerous veils, which occlude the heart. Definition: The reciter should define himself to be what the Koran speaks of, so if he hears a bidding or a forbidding, he should deem that this is intended for himself. If he hears a promise or a threat he should deem likewise, and when he hears the stories of the people of yore and the prophets he should take these as examples for his own behavior. Influence: The heart of the reciter should be influence according to the various verses through his understanding of them. His heart should be moved to feel sorrow, fear and hope etc., as he reads. Elation: The reciter should be elated when he hears the words of Allah, the Almighty. The levels of reciting are three: The least of them is that the worshiper thinks that he is reciting before Allah, the Almighty and standing before him, as if Allah is looking and listening to him. He should be in the state of invoking Allah humbly. The second: is that he certifies by his heart that Allah, the Almighty hears him and talks to him out of his mercy, so his standing is of shyness and gratitude, listening and understanding. The third: is that he sees in the words of Allah His speech, and in the words, the commands of Allah, so he does not look at himself, nor to what he reads, nor at what he might gain from it. He should make his thinking wholly to Allah, this is the level of those who are closest to Allah. Renouncing. The reciter should renounce his influence or power and disregard himself. If he recites the verses of the promises and praising the righteous he should regard himself as such, but he should regard those as the ones certain in their faith and should be longing to be joined with them. If he recites the verses about the blameworthy and the hated rebellious sinners he should see himself as one of them, and should feel fear and hope. Chapter Four The Virtues of the Koran and its Interpretation by Opinion, not by Transmission You may say we have exaggerated the matter in the previous chapter regarding the understanding of the mysteries of the Koran and that, which the rightly guided people have discovered of its meanings, then how would this be preferable while the Prophet has said: Whoever interprets the Koran according to his own opinion has confirmed for himself a place in Hell Fire. The knowledgeable people have used the superficiality of some interpretations to slander the mystics who have misinterpreted the words of the Koran contrary to what was related according to ibn Abbas and all interpreters. They have concluded that this is atheism. But if what the interpreters said was correct, so this would mean that to understand the Koran would be to merely memorise its interpretation. And if this was not correct what would be the meaning of the saying of the Prophet Whoever interprets the Koran according to his own opinion has confirmed for himself a place in Hell Fire. Know that whoever asserts that there is no meaning for the Koran except what has been translated from the superficiality of its interpretation, that person is only speaking for himself, and he is correct in what he claims for himself. But he is wrong in judging all people according to his limited understanding. The tradition of the Prophet and the sayings of his Companions indicate that there is in the meaning of the Koran a place for those who possess understanding. Ali - may Allah be pleased with him - said: Except that Allah grants a servant understanding of the Koran. If it was not anything other than the transmitted interpretations so what would that understanding be? As to the saying of the Prophet whoever interprets the Koran according to his own opinion is in Hell Fire, and he forbids the people from doing that. Also Abou Bakr has said:, which land would bear me and, which sky would shade me if I interpret the Koran according to my own opinion? Other saying, which are transmitted in the traditions and sayings of the Companions, regarding the prohibition of interpreting the Koran according to ones opinion, show that one should confine oneself to what is narrated, and what is heard alone, leaving presumption and personal theory; or such commandments could mean something else. If what is meant is that no one should interpret the Koran except as he hears it, this would not be correct, for the following reasons: It should be heard from the Prophet and correctly sourced to him. This would not cover all of the Koran. But as to what ibn Abbas and ibn Masud have said, it should not be accepted, and should be classified as interpretation according to opinion, because they have not heard it from the Prophet, and so from other Companions. The Companions and interpreters have differed in interpreting some verses, they have forwarded different interpretations, and to have heard all of it from the Prophet would have been impossible. If one was heard then what about the others? This shows evidently that each interpreter has interpreted the meaning according to what he has grasped from his own presumption. The Prophet prayed to Allah for ibn Abbas, saying: My Lord! Please make him a scholar in religion and teach him interpretation. If interpretation was only heard as in revelations, and preserved in the same manner, then what would be the point of the Prophets prayer for ibn Abbas in particular. Allah, the Almighty has said: those capable of assessing the matter would have dealt with it (Koran 4 verse 83) this proves that the knowledgeable people are capable of understanding. It is known that presumption is beyond what is heard, so the assumption that interpretation depends on what is heard is void, it is possible for everyone to discover of the Koran according to his understanding and to the limit of his reason. The prohibition is confined in two ways; first, that a man has an opinion about the matter, and that he is inclined to his lusts, so he interprets the Koran according to his opinion and his lusts and bends the meaning to suit his own purposes. He uses this at times to argue with regard to knowledge, such as the one who uses verses of the Koran to argue that his invention is right, while he knows that the meaning of the verses he cites do not relate to what he claims, but he wants to confuse his adversary. At other times he argues out of ignorance, but if the verse is allegorical his understanding would incline towards the meaning, which suits his purpose and favor the side, which suits his opinion and lusts, thus he would interpret according to his opinion. This means that it is his opinion, which led him to that interpretation, and had it not been for his opinion he would not have favored that side. At another time he might have a correct purpose and seek for it evidence from the Koran, and he recognizes in it what he wants, such as the one who seeks forgiveness at the time of suhur (the predawn meal taken in Ramadan) so he uses the sayings of the Prophet: Eat your suhur, surely in suhur is baraka (blessing). The he asserts that the eating of the meal before dawn means zikr (praising Allah) while he knows that what is meant is eating. Also like the one who has been calling to resist hard-heartedness, so he says: Allah, the Almighty has said: Go to Pharaoh, truly he is a tyrant- (Koran 79 verse 18) and he points to his heart and says that the word Pharaoh means his heart. The second way is that he rushes to the interpretation of the Koran according to the superficial meaning of the language without relating what is heard and transmitted with regard to interpretation of the Koran and some of its words. So whoever confines the superficiality of interpretation to discover meaning just because he has understood the Arabic language, will make many mistakes, and become one of those who interpret according to his opinion. Transmitting and hearing are necessities for interpretation to avoid mistakes then after that his understanding and discovery will be widened. There are many arts to hearing, such as summarizing by curtailing, as Allah, the Almighty said: And We gave to Thamood the she-camel as a clear Sign, but they did wrong against her (Koran 17 verse 59) The meaning of this si a clear sign, which they wronged themselves against by killing it. The one who looks only at what appears superficially of the language thinks that it is meant that the she camel was able to see and not blind, and he would not realize what they have wronged themselves with. Allah, the Almighty has said: until the sun set behind the veil (Koran 38 verse 32) The advance and the delay, Allah, the Almighty said: And had it not been for a decree that preceded from you Lord, and an appointed term, it would have been passed upon them. (Koran 20 verse 129) A word that had diverse meaning. Such as thing, companion, nation, spirit. Allah, the Almighty said: Allah gives a parable, a servant possessed by his master, who has no power over anything (Koran 16 verse 75), what it meant from it is the bounty Allah has given him. As for the word companion: Allah, the Almighty said: And his companion shall say: This witness with me is prepared; Cast into Hell every ungrateful stubborn one- (Koran 50 verse 23-24) this means the angel, which is entrusted to guard over him. Allah, the Almighty also said: His companion shall say: Our Lord, I did not make him insolent, but he was himself in far error. (Koran 50 verse 27) This means the Satan. The word nation: the word nation has eight meanings, the nation: the group, as Allah, the Almighty said: he found thereon a group of men watering their flocks (Koran 28 verse 23) the followers of the Prophets, as you say: From the nation of Muhammad, and as righteous man is to be followed as an ideal, as Allah, the Almighty said: Surely Ibrahim was a nation devoted to Allah. The nation: the creed, as Allah, the Almighty said: We found our fathers following a way (Koran 43 verse 23). Nation: a period of time, as Allah, the Almighty said: until a stated time (Koran 11 verse 8) Allah, the Almighty also said: who remembered after a long time (Koran 12 verse 45). The spirit, also has been mentioned in the Koran with various meanings. However anyone who thinks it is sufficient to understand the superficial meaning of the Arabic language to be able to interpret the Koran and he does not recognize the hearing and transmitting in these matters, is definitely among those who interpret Koran according to their own opinion. The Ninth Book On Invocations and Supplications Chapter One On the Merit of invocations and their benefit The merits of invocation are shown in the Koran, as Allah, the Almighty said: Therefore remember Me, so that I may remember you(Koran 2 verse 152) Thabit al-Bonani said: I know when my Lord, Glory be to Him, remembers me. The people were astounded and asked him: How would you know that? He replied: When I remember Allah, He remembers me. Allah, the Almighty said: O you who believer remember Allah often. (Koran 33 verse 41, also Glory be to Him said: when you hasten on from Arafat, then remember Allah at the sacred station (Muzadalifa east of Makkah) and remember Allah as He has guided you, surely before His guidance you were astray. (Koran 2 verse 198) Allah, Glory be to Him has said: So when you have fulfilled your ceremonies of Pilgrimage, let your remembrance of Allah be far greater than your remembrance of your fathers (Koran 2 verse 200) The Prophet said: Allah, the Almighty said: I am with My servant whenever he remembers Me, and when he utters remembrance of Me. Also the Prophet said: The deed, which most saves the son of Adam from the punishment of Allah, is his remembrance of Allah, the Almighty. They said: O Messenger of Allah is it greater than to do Jihad for the cause of Allah? He replied: It is indeed more than Jihad in the cause of Allah, except that you strike with your sword until it breaks, then you strike it again, then strike with it until it breaks. Al Fadil said: We have been told that Allah said: My servant, praise Me one hour in the morning and one hour after the afternoon prayers, so I will suffice you between it. Moaz ibn Gabal said: The dwellers of Paradise will not regret anything except an hour in their life, which they forgot to praise Allah, the Almighty. Chapter Two The merit of invoking blessing upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and prayers upon him; his special virtue, peace and prayers upon him Allah, the Almighty said: Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet, O you who believe you should also ask and send blessings and peace upon him. (Koran 33 verse 56) According to Tradition: The Prophet came one day, his face aglow with good tidings, and said: Gabriel came to me and said: It will surely please you to know Muhammad, that no member of your Community ever invokes a single blessing on you without my invoking upon him ten, and that no member of your Community ever salutes you with peace without my saluting him ten times. The Prophet also said: When anyone blesses me, the angels invoke the same blessings on him; so let him give and receive accordingly, whether little or much. And he said: The person most worthy of me is he who blesses me most often. The Messenger said: It is the height of meanness in a believer for him to hear me mentioned and not to bless me. He said: Multiply benediction upon me on the day of Congregational Prayer (Friday). The Prophet said: Ten good deeds are recorded in favor of any member of my Community who blesses me, and ten bad deeds are erased from his record. And he said: If anyone says, when he hears the call to prayer and the signal to begin prayer: O Allah, Lord of this Perfect Call and steadfast prayer, bless Muhammad, Your worshipper and Messenger; grant him mediation, merit, exalted rank and intercession on the Day of Resurrection, he is entitled to my intercession. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah praise and venerate him, said: If anyone blesses me in writing, the angels will not cease asking forgiveness for him as long as my name is in that book. He said There are angels on earth who travel around to bring me salutation from my Community. And he said: No one salutes me without Allah restoring my spirit to me so that I may return his salutation. When they asked him: O Messenger of Allah, how should we invoke blessings upon you? He replied: Say: O Allah bless Muhammad, Your servant, and his family and his wives and his offspring, as you have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Bestow Your grace upon Muhammad, his wives and his offspring, as You have bestowed Your grace upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are indeed Praiseworthy and Glorious. It is related that, after the death of the Messenger of Allah, Umar ibn al-Khattab was heard weeping and saying: You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! There was once a palm tree stump on, which you used to stand when you addressed the people. But when the people grew in number, you adopted a pulpit to let them all hear you. The tree stump then mourned your separation, until you laid your hand upon it and it was reassured. Still greater right has your Community to pine for you now you have parted from them. You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! So great is your merit in His sight that He has equated obedience to you with obedience to Himself, for He said: Whoever obeys the Messenger, then eh has obeyed Allah. (Koran 4 verse 80) You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! So great is your merit in His sight that He told you you were pardoned before He told you the offence, for He said: Allah pardons you! When you granted them leave(of absence from military duty)? (Koran 9 verse 43) You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! So great is your merit in His sight that He sent you as the last of the Prophets, yet mentioned you among the first of them, for He said: And We took from the Prophets their covenants, and from you, and from Noah, and from Ibrahim (Koran 33 verse 7). You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! So great is your merit in His sight that the people of Hell dearly with they had obeyed you; as they suffer torment among its layers they say: Would that we had obeyed Allah and the Messenger. (Koran 33 verse 66) You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! While Allah gave Moses, son of Imran, a rock from, which streams gushed forth, this is not more miraculous than when water welled from your fingers, Allah bless you. You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! It is true that Allah gave Solomon, son of David, the wind, its going was a months journey, and its return was a months journey. (Koran 34 verse 12) Yet this was not so miraculous as Buraq, on, which you ascended to the seventh heaven, then ended your night by performing the morning Prayer in the valley bed Allah bless you. You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! Allah did indeed grant Jesus, the son of Mary the power to bring the dead to life. Yet this is no greater miracle than when the poisoned sheep spoke to you, even though it was roasted; for its leg said to you: Do not eat me! I am poisoned. You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! Noah once cursed his people saying: My Lord, leave not even one of the unbelievers upon the earth- (Koran 71 verse 26) Had you cursed us like that, we should have perished. Yet, though your back was trampled, your face bloodied and your teeth broken, you refused to say anything but good; your words were: O Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know. You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! Though your years were few and your life-span short, you were followed by many more than followed Noah, for all his great age and longevity. Many believed in you, but only a few believed along with him. You are more to me than my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah! If you had sat with none but your peer, you would not have sat with us; if you had married only your equal, you would not have trusted us. And yet, by Allah, you did sit with us, marry among us and trust us. You dressed in wool; you rode the donkey and I rode behind you; you set your food on the ground, you licked your fingers in all humility Allah bless you and give you peace. Someone said: I used to write down Tradition, invoking blessings upon the Prophet, but not saluting him with peace. Then I saw the Prophet in a dream in, which he said to me: Do you not complete the benediction for me in your writing? Since then I have never written without invoking upon him both blessing and peace. Abul Hasan is reported as saying: I saw the Prophet in a dream, and I said: O Messenger of Allah, with what was al-ShafiI rewarded on your behalf, for saying in his book, al-Risala; And Allah bless Muhammad as the mindful remember and the heedless forgot to mention? He said, Allah bless him and give him peace; He was rewarded on my behalf with not having to face the Reckoning. The Merit of Seeking Forgiveness Istighfar God Almighty says: And those who when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember God and pray for forgiveness for their sins (Koran 3 verse 135) And: And whoever does evil or wrongs himself, then asks God for forgiveness, he shall find God All-Forgiving, All-Merciful. (Koran 4 verse 110) God Almighty says: Then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and seek His forgiveness, for He is ever Relenting. (Koran 110 verse 3) God Almighty also says: those who implore Gods forgiveness in the predawn. (Koran 3 verse 17) The Messenger of God would often say: O God, to You be all glory and praise! O God forgive me. Surely You are the Ever Relenting and Compassionate One. Other sayings of the Prophet: To one who often seeks His forgiveness, God, Great and Glorious is He, grants relief from all troubles, a way out of all distress, and sustenance beyond his expectation. I seek forgiveness of God Almighty, and turn to Him in repentance seventy times a day. (Even though his past and future sins had been for given!) My heart becomes clouded unless I seek forgiveness of God Almighty, one hundred times a day. Though your sins be as many as the flecks of foam on the sea, the grains of sand in the desert, the leaves on the trees or the days of the world, God will forgive them if you say three times at bedtime: I seek forgiveness of the One Almighty God, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I repent to Him. (According to Tradition, this will obtain forgiveness even for one who deserts the ranks.) Hudhayfa said: I used to speak harshly to my family, so I said to Gods Messenger: O Messenger of God, I fear that my tongue may lead me to Hell. The Prophet replied: How about seeking forgiveness? I beg Gods forgiveness a hundred times a day. Aisha said: Gods Messenger said to me: If you have committed a sin, seek forgiveness of God and repent to Him. Repentance of sin means feeling remorse and seeking forgiveness. Gods Messenger used to seek forgiveness with this Prayer: O god, forgive me my mistakes, my ignorance, my extravagance and what You know better than I, O God, Forgive me my frivolity and my over-earnestness my faults and wrongs intentions and all my shortcomings. O God, forgive me what I have done in the past and what I shall do in the future, what I have done in secret and what I have done in public, and what You know better than I. You are the Advancer and Delayer and over all things You have power. Ali said: I am the sort of man who would benefit as much as God allowed from hearing a Tradition from Gods Messenger. When one of his Companions told me a Tradition, I would ask him to swear to its authenticity. I would trust him once he had sworn. Abou Bakr was always truthful. He once told me he had heard the Messenger of God say: If someone commits a sin, but then takes a thorough ritual ablution, performs a prayer of two cycles and seeks forgiveness of God Almighty, his sin will be forgiven. Then Abou Bakr recited the verse: And those who when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember God and pray for forgiveness for their sins (Koran 3 verse 135) According to Abou Hurayra, the Prophet said: When a believer commits a sin, a black spot forms on his heart. If he repents and mends his way and seeks forgiveness, the spot is purged from his heart. But if he goes on sinning, the spot will grow until it covers his heart all over. That is the rust, which God Almighty mentions in His Book: No indeed! But their own deeds have rusted upon their hearts. (Koran 83 verse 14) According to Abou Hurayra, the Prophet said: God Almighty will raise His Servant to high rank in Paradise and he will say: My Lord, how have I deserved this? Then God Almighty will say: By virtue of your sons prayer for forgiveness on your behalf. According to Aisha, the Messenger of God said: O God, make me one of those who rejoice when they have done a good deed, and who seek forgiveness when they have done something bad. The Messenger of God said: When a man commits a sin and says: O God forgive me! God Almighty says: My servant has committed a sin, but he knows he has a Lord who takes account of sin and forgives it. O My servant do what you want, for I have already forgiven you. Other sayings of the Prophet: A man who seeks forgiveness is not a persistent sinner, even if he lapses seventy times a day. A man who has never done a good deed looks toward heaven and says: Surely I have a Lord, O Lord, forgive me! and God Almighty says: I have already forgiven you. If a man commits a sin, but knows that God sees him, he will receive forgiveness even without asking for it. If a man says: Glory be to You! I have wronged myself and done something bad, so forgive me, for there is no one to forgive sins but You, his sins are forgiven, even if they are like a trail of ants. It is related that the best prayer for forgiveness is this: O God, You are my Lord and I am Your servant. You created me. I am fulfilling my covenant and promise to You as best I can. I take refuge with You from the evil I have perpetrated. I acknowledge You as the source of my blessings, and I acknowledge my own responsibility for my sins. I have wronged myself and I confess my sin, so forgive me my sins, those I have committed in the past and those I shall commit in the future. Surely no one forgives all sins but You. Other wise sayings: Khalid ibn Madan said: God Almgithy says: Dearest to Me of My servants are those who love one another for love of Me, whose hearts are bound to the Mosque, and who seek forgiveness at the break of day. When I wish to punish the rest of earths people, I shall remember them; I shall leave them alone and turn the punishment away from them. Qatada said: The Koran shows you your sickness and your medicine. Your sickness is sin and your medicine is the prayer for forgiveness. Ali said: It puzzles me that a man should perish when he possesses the means to save himself. When they asked him to explain, he said: The prayer for forgiveness! He also used to say: God Almighty never inspires a man to seek forgiveness if He intends to punish him. Al-Fudayl said: When a servant says: I seek Gods forgiveness, the meaning of his words is: Let my sins be few! A certain scholar said: Man is between sin and grace, nothing can improve matters except praising God and seeking His forgiveness. Al-Rabi ibn Khaytham said: Beware of saying: I seek Gods forgiveness and I repent to Him, for it is a sin and a lie if not acted upon. It is better to say: O God forgive me and turn toward me. Al-Fudayl said: To seek forgiveness without feeling remorse is to mock God Almighty, without being aware of it. A Bedouin was heard to say, as he clung to the covering of the Kabah: O God, I seek Your forgiveness, although I shamefully persist in sin. How could I stop begging Your forgiveness, when I know how generously You pardon? What loving kindness You bestow on me, when You have no need of me at all! How often I offend and anger You, although I need You so badly! What a Lord He fulfills all His promises, yet pardons when He threatens! Take my great sin into Your mighty pardon, O Most Compassionate of the Most Merciful! Abou Abd Allah al-Warraq said: Though your sins be as numerous as raindrops and the flecks of foam on the sea, they will be wiped away from you, God willing, if you offer this supplication to your Lord in all sincerity: O God, I beg Your forgiveness for every sin, for I have lapsed again after turning to You in repentance. I seek Your forgiveness for all the promises I have made to You, but failed to carry out. I ask Your forgiveness for every action I intended to do for Your sake alone, but I mixed with something other than You. I seek Your forgiveness for every blessing You have bestowed on me, but that I used in disobedience of You. O Knower of the unseen and the seen, I beg Your forgiveness for every sin I have committed by the light of the day and in the darkness of night, in public and in solitude, in secret and for all to see. O Benevolent One! Some say this is the prayer for forgiveness used by the Prophet Adam, on him be peace. According to others, it is the supplication of the Prophet Khidr, on him be peace. The Tenth Book On the Office of Portions Chapter One On the Merits of the Office of Portions, Its Rules and how Constancy in it Is the Path to Allah, the Almighty Know that those who see by the light of faith know that there is no redemption in the encounter with Allah High Exalted, recognizing Allah, Glory be to Him. Love does not occur except in continuous remembrance of the Beloved One and constancy in it, and recognition does not come about except in continuous thought of His attributes and acts. Nothing exists except Allah Glory be to Him, and His acts. The continuity of remembrance and thought will not be constant except by renouncing the life and its desires, distancing yourself from it as much as possible according to necessity, and this will not be achieved except by spending the entire night and day in subjecting yourself to remembrance in thought of Allah, High Exalted. Whoever wishes for his balance of good deeds to weigh heavily, then let him be pious and Allahfearing all the time. Look at the directives Allah, the Almighty gave His Messenger and try to benefit from the light of the faith, as Allah, the Almighty said to His closest servant, and the most noble of them, the Prophet Muhammad: Surely in the day you have long business. *But remember the Name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him with all devotion. (Koran 73 verses 7-8) And The High Exalted said: And celebrate the Name of your Lord morning and evening; *And worship Him a part of the night, and glorify Him through the long hours of the night. (Koran 76 verses 25-26) And High Exalted said: They forsake their beds as they call on their lord in fear and hope (Koran 32 verse 16) And High Exalted said: And those who spend their nights prostrate to their Lord and standing; (Koran 25 verse 6-4) And High Exalted said: They slept not but a little of the night, * And before the dawn they would seek forgiveness. (Koran 51 verse 17-18). The Number of Portions and their Order Know that the portions of the day are seven, and between the dawn until the sunrise is one portion, and between sunrise until noon is two portions, and between noon until al asr (afternoon prayer) is two portions and between al asr until sunset is two portions. The night is divided into four portions they are as follows, two portions from sunset until going to sleep, two portions in the second half of the night until the dawn. Chapter Two On the Excellence of the Night Vigil Qyam Al-Layl Qurnic verses: The pertinent Qurnic Verses are these words of Allah, the Almighty: Surely your Lord knows that you stand in prayer nearly two-thirds of the night, or half of the night, or a third of the night, and also a party of those with you(Koran 73 verse 20) Truly the rising by night is most potent for controlling the soul(Koran 73 verse 6) They forsake their beds as they call on their Lord in fear and hope (Koran 32 verse 16) Is he who worships devoutly in the night, prostrating himself and standing, fearing the Hereafter and seeking his Lords Mercy?(Koran 39 verse 9) And those who spend their nights prostrate to their Lord and standing (Koran 25 verse 64) And seek help in patience and prayer(Koran 2 verse 45) Traditions of the Prophet Relevant Traditions include the following sayings of the Prophet: While any one of you is sleeping. Satan ties three knots on the nape of your neck, and all night long he strikes the spot where each knot is tied, keeping you asleep. But if you wake up and remember Allah, the Almighty, one knot is undone; if you perform the ritual ablution, a second knot is untied; if you perform the prayer, the third knot is loosened and in the morning you will be fresh and in good spirits otherwise the morning will find you bad tempered and slothful. (On hearing about a man who used to sleep all night right through till morning) Satan has urinated in that mans ear. Satan has a kind of snuff, a kind of syrup and a kind of powder. When he gets a man to take this snuff, the man becomes badly behaved; when he administers the syrup, the man becomes sharp and evil-tongued; when he applies the powder, the man sleeps right through the night till morning. Two cycles of prayer performed in the middle of the night are better for a man than the world and all it contains. But for the hardship it would have caused my Community, I would have made them compulsory. There is an hour of the night when, if any Muslim asks Allah, the Almighty for something good, He is sure to grant it to him. Or in another version: asks Allah, the Almighty, for something good of this world or of the Hereafter. And that is every night. According to Mughira ibn Shaba, the Messenger of Allah would get up to pray until his feet were splitting. Someone would say to him: Surely Allah has forgiven you your former and latter sins? But he replied: Should I not be a grateful servant? What is clearly implicit here is an allusion to increase in stature, for gratitude is the cause of augmentation. In the words of Allah, the Almighty:- If you are grateful I shall increase My favors upon you (Koran 14 verse 7) The Prophet said: Abou Hurayra, do you wish to enjoy the Mercy of Allah in life an din death, in the tomb and at the Resurrection? Then get up at night and pray! Do you wish for your Lords approval, Abou Hurayra? Then pray in the corners of your house; your house will be as radiant in heaven as the light of the planets and stars is to people on earth. The Prophet also said: It is incumbent upon you to observe night vigil, for it was the practice of your righteous predecessors. Night vigil brings us close to Allah, the Almighty, He atones for our sins, drives disease from the body and puts a stop to transgression. The Prophet said: Whenever a man is overtaken by sleep while performing prayer at night, the reward for his prayer is recorded in his favor and his sleep is reckoned as alms. The Messenger of Allah said to about Dharr: If I were intending to make a journey, would I get provisions ready for it? He said Yes, Well, Abou Dharr, how about the journey on the way to the Hereafter? Shall I not tell you what will be useful to you on that day? Of course! You are more to me than my father and mother. Fast on a very hot day, in preparation for the Day of Resurrection; perform two prayer cycles in the darkness of night, in readiness for the desolation of the tomb; make a pilgrimage, for portentous events; do an act of charity, by giving alms to a pauper, by speaking a word of truth, or by holding back a word of evil. It is related that in the time of the Prophet there was a man who, when others took to their beds and closed their eyes, would get up to pray and recite the Qurn saying: O Lord of the Fire, deliver me from it. When this was mentioned to the Prophet, he said: Notify me when this happens. Then he came to him and he heard for himself. When morning came he said to him: So and so, have you not asked Allah for Paradise? But he replied: Messenger of Allah, I am not there, nor do my deeds amount to that. Shortly after this, Gabriel, on him be peace, descended and said: Tell so and so that Allah has already delivered him from the Fire and admitted him to Paradise. It is further related that Gabriel said: Ibn Umar would be such a good man if only he would pray at night! The Prophet informed him of this and from then on he always kept night vigil. Nafi said: Ibn Umar would pray through the night, then say: Nafi, is it time for the predawn meal? When I said No, he would resume his prayers. The he would sit down and beg forgiveness of Allah, the Almighty, till the dawn broke. Ali ibn Abi Talib said: Yahya the son of Zakariyah on both of them be peace, ate his fill of barley and went to sleep without reciting his devotions. When morning came, Allah, the Almighty said to him by inspiration: Yahya, have you found a dwelling better for you than My dwelling? Or have you found a neighbourhood better for you than My neighbourhood? By My might and majesty, Yahya, if you took one look at Paradise your fat would melt and your soul would expire from yearning, while if you took one look at Hell your fat would melt, you would weep pus after tears and wear leather after haircloth. The Messenger of Allah was told: So and so prays during the night and in the morning he steals. He said: His good action will cause him to desist. The Prophet said: Allah grants His mercy to a man who gets up in the night to pray, then wakes up his wife to pray also, sprinkling water on her face if she is unwilling. He also said: Allah grants his mercy to a wife who gets up in the night to pray, then rouses her husband to pray also, sprinkling water on his face if he is unwilling. Further: If a man wakes up at night and rouses his wife, and they both perform two cycles of prayer, they are recorded among the men and women who remember Allah very often. The Prophet also said: The best prayer after the five prescribed is the night vigil. Umar ibn al-Khattab said: The Prophet said: If someone misses his portion of Qurn recitation, or part of it, through sleeping at night, then makes up his reading between the dawn and the midday prayers, it will be recorded in his favor as if he had done his reading at night. Traditions of the Companions and their Followers Among the Traditions of the Companions, it is related that Umar would be going over the verse from his nightly recitation until he fainted and dropped, so then he would be visited because of this for several days as a sick man receives visits. When others eyes were asleep, Ibn Masd would get up and until morning a droning sound could be heard from him like the droning of bees. It is said that Sufyan al-Thawri ate his fill one night saying: When the donkey gets extra fodder, it works all the harder. Then he kept vigil that night through till the morning. When Tas reclined on his bed he would feel as restless as peas in a frying pan, so he would jump up and pray till morning. Then he would say: The recollection of Hell sends the sleep of the worshipful flying! Said al-Hasan said: We know of no harder act of piety than enduring through the night and offering up our money. He was then asked: How is it that those who observe the Prayers of night vigil are among the people with the most beautiful faces? To this he replied: Because they commune with the All Merciful and He clothes them in light from His light. A certain righteous man came home from his travels. His bed was laid out for him and he fell asleep on it, missing his recitations. He swore that never again would he sleep on a bed. Abd ibn Rawwad used to go to bed when night had fallen, saying as he stroked it with his hand: You are soft indeed, but by Allah there is in Paradise a softer one than you! Then he would spend the whole night in Prayer. Al-Fudayl said: I approach the night at the outset and the length of it appalls me; then I start on the Qurn and it is already morning before I have satisfied my craving. Al-Hasan said: A man commits a sin and because of it he is deprived of night vigil. Al-Fudayl said: If you are incapable of keeping night vigil and of fasting by day, you must know that you are under interdiction because of your many faults. Sila ibn Ashyam used to pray throughout the night. Shortly before dawn he would say: My Allah, it is not for the likes of me to ask for Paradise, but deliver me by Your mercy from the Fire! A man said to one of the wise: I am really too weak to keep the night vigil. So the wise man told him: My brother, do not disobey Allah, the Almighty, and you need not stay up at night. Al-Hasan ibn Salih had a slave girl, whom he sold to some people. This slave girl got up in the middle of the night, crying: People of the house, prayers, prayers! They said: Is it morning already? Has the dawn broken? She said: Do you mean to say you only observe the five set prayers? When they said yes, she went back to al-Hasan saying: master, would you sell me to people who only observe the set prayers? Take me back! So he took her back. Al-Rabi said: I spent many nights in the house of alShafiI, and he never slept more than a very short part of the night. Abul Juwayriya said: I kept company with Abou Hanifah for six months and there was not one night in all that time when he laid his side to the ground. Abou Hanifah used to stay awake half the night, but as he was passing some people he heard them say: This man stays awake the whole night, so he retorted: I am ashamed to be credited with something I do not do. From then on he took to staying awake all night long. It is related too that he had no bedding for the night. They say that Malik ibn Dinar spent the whole night through till morning repeating this verse: Or do those who commit evil deeds think that We shall make them equal to those who believe and do righteous deeds (Koran verse 21) Al Mughira ibn Habib said: I noticed Malik ibn Dinar performing ablution after the late evening prayer, then he went and stood at his place of prayer. He took hold of his beard, and choking with tears, began to say: My Allah, preserve Maliks gray hairs from the Fire! You know the inhabitants of Paradise from the inhabitants of Hell Fire, so, which of the two is Malik? He went on saying this till break of day. Malik ibn Dinar also said: One night I went to sleep, forgetting my recitations. In my dreams I found myself with a most beautiful girl. In her hand she held a piece of paper and asked me: Can you read well? When I told her I could, she handed me the paper, on, which these lines were written: Have pleasures and desires distracted you from Paradise with maidens fair and sweet? there you shall dwell eternally and sport with all the lovely ladies you shall meet. From dreams awake and better far than sleep recite Koran until the dawn you greet. It is said that when Masruq went on Pilgrimage he spent every night prostrating himself in worship. And it is related on the authority of Azhar ibn Mughith (one of those devoted to constant prayer) that he said: I dreamt I saw a woman unlike earthly women, so I said to her: Who are you? and she replied: One of the maidens of Paradise. I then asked her to marry me and she said: Put your proposal to my master, and pay me my dower. And what is your dower? I asked. Long prayers of night vigil. She replied. Yusef ibn Mihran said: I have heard that beneath the Throne there is an angel in the shape of a cock. Its talons are of pearl and its spurs of green topaz. When the first third of the night has passed it flaps its wings, crows and says: Let those who get up arise! When half the night is gone by it again flaps its wings, crows and says: Let those who keep vigil arise! The when two-thirds of the night have passed it once more flaps its wings, crows and says: Let those who pray arise! Finally when dawn breaks it flaps it wings, crows and says: Let the heedless arise, bearing the weight of their sins! They say that Wahb ibn Munabbih al-Yamani never laid his side to the ground in thirty years, and that he used to say: I would rather see a devil in my house than a pillow, for that is an invitation to sleep. He had a leather cushion, on, which he would place his breast when sleep overpowered him. After nodding a few times he would then make hast to pray. Someone said: I saw the Lord of Glory in a dream and heard Him say: By My Glory and Majesty, I shall surely honor the abode of Sulayman al-Taymi, for he has prayed to me each morning for forty years without breaking his ablution made for late evening prayer. He is said to have held the view that when sleep penetrates the heart it invalidates the ritual ablution. In one of the ancient scriptures, these words are attributed to Allah, the Almighty: My servant who is truly My servant is he who does not wait for the cock to crow before he gets up. THE QUARTER OF CUSTOMS The First Book The Ethics of Eating All Praise to be Allah, Who created the Universe, embellished its form and order, He created the heavens and the Earth, and He sent down water, then brought forth brought from it grain and plants, and determined the sustenance and bounty, he made food a source of energy for the animals and guided mankind to the way of righteous deeds and piety, and made the good food lawful for them, praise and peace be upon Muhammad, who He sent distinguished miracles, and upon his family and his Companions. To those who possess minds that they should make their hope of their encounter with Allah High Exalted, in the Abode of the Reward, there is no way for them to achieve their aim except in knowledge and righteous deeds, and that cannot be achieved without a healthy body. A healthy body can only be achieved if healthy food is taken in due proportion at the due time. With regard to this point one of the righteous predecessors has said: Eating is of the religion, the Lord of the Worlds has instructed us regarding it, as He said: eat of the good things and do righteous deeds (Koran 23 verse 51) So whoever eats to enable himself to advance in knowledge and to work and to enable himself to carry out his religious duties, should not ignore his health nor should he eat excessively, as a animal grazes incessantly in the fields. The one who eats merely as the means of fulfilling his religious duties should behave in a way, which reflects the light of the religion on himself. Religious manners and ordinances serve to give the servant the power to control his desire for eating and enable him to distance himself from sins. The Prophet, may Allah praise and venerate him said: Indeed a man will be rewarded even for the piece of bread he puts in his own mouth or that with, which he feeds his wife. This is only if he does this observing religious manners and duties. We here will guide to the employment of religious duties in eating: its obligations, its ordinances, its manners and its merit, in four chapters and one additional chapter. The First Chapter: Regarding what is necessary to be observed while eating even if one is eating alone. The Second Chapter: Regarding additional manners to be observed when eating in a gathering. The Third Chapter: Regarding what you present of food to guests. The Fourth Chapter: Regarding invitations and hospitality and social occasions. Chapter One The Requisites of Eating Alone In three Parts: The part before eating, the part during eating, and the part after eating The First part On the manners in advance of eating; these are seven The first: The food must be lawful and good and gained in a lawful way, and not gained through illegal, irreligious or unlawful ways. Allah High Exalted has commanded us to eat the good things, which are lawful, and He has forbidden us from eating unlawful things; this is as a means of magnifying His blessings of the lawful and warning of the harm of the unlawful. He, High Exalted said: O you who believe! Do not devour your wealth among yourselves falsely, but trade fairly by your mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves(Koran 4 verse 29) The Second: The Prophet said: The ablution before eating dispels poverty and the ablution after eating purifies you from the minor sins. This is because the hand, which is used in work must be washed to make it clean for eating in the same way as one purifies oneself before prayer, as eating is a means of fulfilling the religious duties. The Third: The food should be placed on a tray upon the floor, this is the way that the Prophet used to eat his food. The Prophet used to bring his food and put it on the floor as this was more modest and humble. It should be remembered that the food is a means for one to journey through life, which should remind one that he is on a ourney traveling towards the Hereafter, and that the traveling to the Hereafter has needs: and take provision for the journey, but the best provision is piety(Koran 2 verse 197). The Fourth: When being seated around the food one should develop the habit of sitting in a good manner. While he sat eating, the Prophet frequently joined his knees and feet just as one who prays, except that one knee was over the other knee and one foot over the other, and said: I am only a servant; I eat and sit as he does. Reclining while drinking is not good for the stomach and it is disliked to eat while laying on ones side or reclining. The Fifth: The intention f eating should be to take provision for the purpose of fulfilling the religious duties, not just for enjoying the food for its own sake. Ibrahim ibn Sheban said: For eighty years I have not eaten anything for the sake of my desire. The Sixth: One should be content with whatever is available. One should not indulge in luxury food and one should not be excessive, one should not disdain from eating bread alone, and not seek to enrich the bread with some extra food or condiment. We have been commanded to respect the bread. Anything, which keeps you alive and enables you to fulfill your religious duties is much blessed and we should not belittle it. If you have bread in your hand to eat and the call to prayer is given do not attend the prayer until you eat the bread if there is time. The Prophet said: If the call for evening prayer is given while the supper is laid down, start your supper. The Seventh: Endeavor to invite people to food even if they are from your wives and your children. The Prophet said: Gather around your food, Allah will bless it for you. Anas said: The Messenger of Allah never ate alone. The Prophet said: The best food is the food upon, which there is multiplicity of hands (i.e. partaking food with other people). The Second Part On Manners During Eating When the table is set it should be said: In the Name of Allah, render the food favorable and praiseworthy and cause it to have the favor of Paradise. And if it is also said with every bite: In the Name of Allah, it is better still, so that greed does not keep one away from the remembrance of Allah. One should not eat very hot food, in regard to this the Prophet said: It is without blessing; indeed Allah did not feed us fire, therefore cool it. One should eat whatever is within reach using the right hand and begin and end with salt. The Prophet said: Eat from what is near you. One should take small bites and chew it well. One should not criticize the food, The Prophet never found fault with food. If he was pleased with it, he ate it, if he dislike it, he neglected it; if he discarded it, he did not render it hateful to another person. He dislike the lizard and the spleen but did not declare them forbidden. One should never turn a dish around so as to access the food on the other side, nor stretch your arm so to reach the food in the middle. The bread should be eaten from the outside edge inwards, not broken in two to reach the middle first. When the outside is finished then the middle can be broken and eaten. Bread should not be cut by a knife. Nor should the cooked meat be cut by a knife. The Prophet forbade the cutting of meat and bread by knives and said: Bit it with your teach. When the Prophet ate meat, he did not lean over it. Instead he lifted the meat to his mouth and then bit into it with his front teeth. One should not put a loaf of bread into the soup or stew, except the piece, which you will eat. The Prophet said: Honor the bread, Allah High Exalted has sent it from the Blessings of Heaven. One should not wipe his hands with the bread, nor put pieces of rejected food back into the tray, but one should collect the scraps into one place so that no one would mistakenly eat them. One should not drink while eating unless a piece of food becomes stuck in the throat as it is not medically beneficial to drink while eating. As for drinking, the manner for it is to take the cup and say: In the Name of Allah, and one should suck the water and not gulp it. The Prophet said: Suck the water and do not gulp it, indeed the pain of the liver is caused by gulping. One should not drink standing or reclining. One should watch the bottom of the cup in case it drips on him, and should look into the cup before drinking from it, and one should not breathe into the cup nor expel wind into it, but should remove it from his mouth saying All Praise to Allah, and when returning it to his mouth he should say In the Name of Allah. The cup should be passed around from the right. The Third Part On Manners after Eating One should stop eating before feeling satiated by the food, then one should lick the fingers and then wipe them with a cloth, then wash them, one should pick up the crumbs. The Prophet said: Whoever eats what has fallen from the tray lives in abundance and Allah saves his children from any harm. One should clean the teeth with toothpicks but not swallow what the toothpick removes, except what is removed by his tongue. But as for what one removes with the toothpick, it should be thrown away and one should wash his mouth after using the toothpick. The Prophet used to wipe clean his fingers saying: The last portion of food is very much blessed. Moreover he licked his fingers until they became red. He did not wipe his hand with a towel until he had licked his fingers one by one, saying that he did not know in, which morsel of food was the blessing. When he finished he said: Praise be to Allah! Allah, You are worthy to be praised. You have fed, sated, given drink, and quenched thirst; praise belongs to You, Who cannot be denied, Who is eternally present, and Who is indispensable. One should show thanks to Allah, the Almighty with his heart for what he has been fed and see that the food is a blessing from Allah. Allah High Exalted said: Eat from the good of what has been bestowed on you and give thanks to Allah. Whenever one eats lawfully one should say; Praise be to Allah! Allah, You are worthy to be praised. You have fed, sated, given drink, and quenched thirst; praise belongs to You, Who cannot be denied, Who is eternally present, and Who is indispensable. And if one eats something one is doubtful of one should say: All Praise to Allah in any event. Please Allah do not make the food a strength for us to disobey You. After the food one should read Surah The Sincerity of Faith,and Surah The Quraish. And one should not leave the tray before it has been removed, if one eats the food of another one should pray for him and say: Please Allah increase him in good and bless for him what You have bestowed upon him, and ease to him the doing of good, and make him content with what You have granted him, and make him and us grateful to You. If someone breaks his fast with other people, he should say: May your house always be open for the fasting people, and your food always be fed to the righteous, and the angels bless you always. It is preferable to say after the food: All Praise be to Allah, the One Who has fed us and given us drink, He has sufficed us and sheltered us, He is our Lord and our Guardian, You are the One Who suffices everything. You have provided us with food lest we should go hungry, and with security lest we should live in fear. All Praise to You, You have given shelter to the orphans, and You have guided the misguided, You have enriched the poor, All Praise is always due to You. You alone do we worship, and You alone do we turn to for help, we seek refuge in You from committing any sin. Chapter Two Additional manners to be observed when eating In a gathering; these are seven: The First: One should not start the meal while in his presence there are those more deserving, such as elders and those of higher station, except to show them the way, then one should not keep them waiting especially if they are all gathered and ready to eat. The Second: They should not keep silent while eating as this is the habit of the non Arabs, but they should speak in a well mannered way about the behaviour of the righteous people regarding food. The Third: To be considerate to your companions regarding the tray in not taking more than the others, as this is unlawful, unless his companions are pleased to let him do that. The food is to be shared between all. It is prohibited to swear an oath to force someone to eat. Al-Hasan ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) said: The food is lesser than to swear upon it. The Fourth: They should not put their companions in a situation to ask him to eat. Some have said: The best of those who eat are the ones who do not force their companions to watch him eating, and then burden them by asking them to eat. I.e. This means when the food is served one should eat without expecting repeated invitations. The Fifth: They should wash their hands and if one is eating alone, one may spit out the water, but if there are people eating together one should not do that. The Sixth: They should not stare at one another while eating, otherwise they will feel shy, and one should direct ones gaze away, and should not stop eating before ones guests, so that they would not be shy to continue. One should continue taking little by little until the guests have had enough. The Seventh: One should not do anything, which the others will be offended by, or regard as dirty, such as flicking ones hands over the food, or putting his face into the dish. One should not dip a large soft piece of bread into the dish, and the piece, which he cuts with his teeth should not be dipped into the dish. One should not speak of dirty things when eating. Chapter Three The Manner of Presenting Food To Guests There is great merit in presenting food to guests. Ghaffar ibn Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with them) said: When you sit at the tray with guests, prolong the sitting, it is an hour, which will not be counted from your age. And al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Whatever a man spends on himself and his parents and other than them, will be charged for it, except what he spends on his guests in food, as Allah declines to ask him about it. From what was narrated regarding presenting food, the Prophet said: The angels seek praise continuously for any of you as long as his tray of food remains before him until it is lifted away. Ali, - may Allah be pleased with him - said: For myself to gather my brethren for a meal is more preferable to me than the setting free of a slave. Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) used to say: From the generosity of the person is that he has good provisions when he journeys and presents them to his companions. As for the manner: On entering and on presenting food. It is not from the Sunnah to arrive unexpectedly and uninvited at a mealtime and to sit in wait for a meal. We have been forbidden to do this. Allah High Exalted, said: Do not enter the house of the Prophet unless you have been invited for a meal, and do linger awaiting for a meal to be cook This means do not arrive and wait for food to be cooked. It was narrated that whoever walks to a meal to, which he was not invited, he walks in wickedness and has eaten unlawfully. But as for the manner of presenting food, one should not be excessive, if one does not have anything to present and he does not have the means, he should not borrow for that, as this will be a burden on him. And if he has something, which he needs for his food, and he was not pleased to give it, then he should not present it. A person entered upon an ascetic while he was eating, so he said: If I did not borrow the price of it I would have fed it to you. Al-Fadil used to say: The people should boycott those who pose only for show, any of them invites his brother then he poses, so you should boycott him and never go back to him. And of the burdens is that person presents all that he has, so he has been unfair to his children and hurt their hearts. Salman said: The Messenger of Allah has commanded us that we should not pose to our guests with what we do not have, and we should present to him what we have. The second manner: is for the visitor, he should not suggest or insist on a particular things as this may cause difficulty to his host. If his brother gave him the choice between two kinds of food, then let him choose the least one. This is the Sunnah. It was narrated that whenever The Prophet was given the choice between two things he chose the least. The third manner: the host should make his guest feel welcome and seek from him a suggestion, whenever he finds himself happy or pleased to do w hat is suggested, this is better and there is a reward and great merit in it. The fourth manner: The host should not say to his guest, Would you like to eat? But he should present the food if it is ready. Al Thawri said: If a brother visits you do not say to him: Will you eat? or Shall I present to you food? But he should present the food, if he eats, it is well, if not, take it away. Chapter Four On the Manners of Hospitality The manners of hospitality are six: Firstly the invitation, then the response, then the arrival, then presenting the food, then eating and finally the departure. The Invitation: The host should intend to invite only pious people, not the wicked or rebellious. The Prophet said: The righteous should eat your food. In his praise to some of those who had invited him, and he meant the poor people and not the rich in particular. The Prophet also said: The worst food is the food of invitations to, which only the rich people have been invited to the exclusion of the poor. And one should not ignore his relatives in his hospitality, as ignoring them is equal to severing the womb relations. Also one should observe an equal preference between ones friends and acquaintances, because if one is preferred over the other, the other may be offended. One should not intend by means of his invitation it to be merely a means of posing, but it is better to gain the hearts one ones brethren. One should not invite the one who you know will find it difficult to attend, and if he attends he may be embarrassed by the presence of the others. The Response has five manners: The First, one should not prefer to respond to the rich in preference to the poor, this is a form of pride from, which we are forbidden. The Second, One should not decline an invitation merely on the grounds that the distance will be far for you, also one should not decline because the host is poor or not a notable person, but if it is any distance you can usually bear, you should not decline the invitation. It was said in the Torah or some other books: Walk for a mile to visit a sick person, walk two miles at a funeral, walk three miles in response to an invitation, walk four miles to visit a brother in faith. The Third: One should not decline just because he is fasting, but he should attend, and if he feels that his brother is pleased to give him breakfast, he should have breakfast there and take into account in his intention that his breakfast is to please his brother. This should be for when one is fasting voluntarily. The Prophet said to the one who declines his brothers invitation on the excuse of fasting: Your brother has bothered himself for you, then you come and tell him I am fasting. The Fourth: One should decline an invitation if one is doubtful as to the goodness of the food, or the tray, which is offered is not lawful, or if the place where the tray is set is furnished with velvet, or if the tray and plates are from silver, or a drawing of an animal was on the roof or a wall, or if one hears music or dance, or there is playing of musical instruments or jesting or playing games, or listening to backbiting or slander, or if there is forgery, deception or lies involved. All such things should deter you from responding and make such invitations forbidden. Also if the host is an oppressor or inventor or wicked or evil or a boaster who is looking to pride himself over the people one should not accept. The Fifth: One should not intend by responding that you will attend only to enjoy the food, as this will be a striving for worldly pleasure, but one should have a good intention so that his response will be a striving for the Hereafter. The manner of attendance is that you enter the house and you should not go to sit in the center of the house, so that you have the best place, but you should be more humble, and do not arrive too late so that they would be troubled in waiting for you nor arrive before they are ready to receive. One should not crowd yourself upon other people already sitting, but if the host has directed you to sit somewhere you should accede, as he may have organized each one to a certain place, as if you disagree with him you may cause confusion. You should not face the door of the womens quarters, and you should not look inquisitively at the place from, which the food is served, as this will indicate your greed. And if the guest enters with the intention of staying overnight, his host, upon his arrive, should indicate to him the direction of the Qibla, the bathroom and the place where he may wash to pray. But as to presenting the food there are five manners: The first is to speed the food, as this is a way of honoring the guest. If the majority of the guests have arrived with the exception of one or two, and they are later than the set time, the right of those who are present is greater in hurrying with the food, than the right of those who are late, except when the one who is late is poor and his feelings would be hurt, then it is better to delay. The second is to arrange the food, one should begin with the fruit, if there is any, this is more healthy for the digestion as it should reach the stomach before anything else. There is indication in the Qurn regarding the presentation of the fruit first, as Allah, the Almighty said: And such fruits as they shall prefer, (Koran 56 verse 20) Then said: And flesh of fowl as they shall prefer, (Koran 56 verse 21). The best to be presented after the fruit is the meat and the breaded soup. The third to be presented should be the various vegetable dishes, of them the best should be presented first, so that those who wish to eat of it can take their fill. The indulgent people usually present the heaviest dish first, then they serve the nicest in order to make the people eat too much. This is the opposite of the Sunnah, as it is a guile to make the people over indulge. It was a tradition of the people before to present all the dishes at the same time on the tray, so that each one can eat what he wishes. And even if the host had only one kind he would put it mentioning that is all he has so that they do not expect more. It was narrated that one of the pious people used to make a list of the food he had prepared and give each guest one so that they would know. The fourth is that one should not rush to clear the tray away before the guests have had enough, in case one of them wants some more of a particular dish. If it is taken away the guest may be disappointed. It was related that Al Satory, who was a lighthearted Sufi, once attending an invitation for a meal from a worldly person, a baby lamb was presented to them, the host was a miser who when he saw the guests tearing the lamb pieces he got enraged and said O (servant) boy, lift the tray away and take it inside to the children. As the tray was being carried inside the house Al Satory got up and ran behind it, it was said to him where are you going? He said, to eat with the children. The host felt embarrassed and ordered the tray to return to the guests. For this reason the host should not finish eating before his guests have finished, and he should be last to finish otherwise his gusts will be shy to continue. The fifth one should present sufficient food as if there is insufficient the hospitality will be lacking, on the other hand if an excessive amount is presented then the host will appear showy. As to the departure from the invitation there are three manners to be observed. First the host must accompany his visitor to the door as it is Sunnah. The Prophet said: It is from the Sunnah of the visitor that he should be accompanied to the door of the house. Second the visitor should leave while he has a good feeling inside him even if he felt the hospitality had been lacking, as this is a mark of good character and humility. Third the visitor should not leave the house except with the approval of his host, he should have regard for his hosts during his stay. If he was a guest he should not stay more than three days as he may be a burden on his host if he stays longer. The Prophet said: The hospitality is three days, anything more than that is charity. If the host insist on the guest to stay longer and he feels he is sincere, then he can stay. The Second Book The Ethics of Marriage Chapter One Concerning Encouragement and Discouragement to Marriage As in the Koran Allah, the Almighty said: And marry those among you who are single (Koran 24 verse 32) and also Allah said: do not prevent them from remarrying their husbands (Koran 2 verse 232) and also in describing and praising the Messengers Allah, the Almighty has said: And surely We have sent Messengers before you, and We assigned to them wives and offspring (Koran 13 verse 38) Allah, the Almighty mentions this here in showing His bounty and grace. Allah Glory be to Him has shown us how the righteous should give praise: Our lord, grant us wives and offspring who will be a joy to our eyes(Koran 25 verse 74). As to tradition the Prophet said: Marrying however turns away from my rite, then he has turned away from me. And he said: Marriage is my rite, so whoever likes my nature let him follow my rite. And he also said: Marry and multiply, because I will be proud of you on the Day of Judgment even in the miscarried fetus. And he said: Whoever abstains from marriage in fear of poverty is not one of us. As to the sayings of the Companions, Umar - may Allah be pleased with him - said: Nothing prevents one from marrying except for one who makes it impossible for himself or who is licentious. He has shown that Religion does not deter from marriage, and he limits the obstacles into two blameworthy matters. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: The Piety of a pious person is not complete until he marries. He likens marriage to piety and the way of perfecting it. What is apparent is that he wants to safeguard his piety, from the temptations of desire, by marriage. Piety will not be completed except by the mind being at rest. Ibn Masud - may Allah be pleased with him - said: If there were only ten days left of my life, I would like to marry so that I would not meet Allah, the Almighty while I was unmarried. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Marriage There are five advantages in marriage: The First advantage: The child, he is the object of marriage as the purpose of marriage is for the continuation of the human race, so that the world will not be depleted from humanity. Having a child is an act, which brings on closer to Allah, the Almighty in four ways: - Firstly, it is the most precise way, which is far from common understanding. It is the most powerful way for those who have vision to reflect upon the wonders of the creation of Allah and His command of the universe. The explanation of that is that if the master has handed the servant the seeds and the tools of tillage, and readied for him a land for cultivation, and the servant is able to cultivate it and has appointed him to look after it, then if eh was lazy and left the tools idle and left the seeds until there were rotten, then if the servant attempted to defend his laziness, he deserves to be blamed by his master and to have his anger directed at him. Allah, the Almighty has created the pair, male and female, then He incited upon them, whether male or female, the desire for each other and He created the small quantity of sperm and created in the female the womb and prepared it as a secure place for it and created the placenta to carry its nourishment. These acts and tools certify to the intention of their creator and call those who possess minds to know what they were prepared for. Secondly, striving to gain the love and pleasure of the Messenger of Allah by multiplying the Muslims whose number will be the cause for his pride. Thirdly, that there remains after him a righteous sons who will pray for him as it was narrated in the Hadith: All the deeds of the son of Adam will be cut except for three. It was mentioned that among the three is the righteous son. Fourthly, that if the child dies before him, he will intercede for him. The Prophet said: Whoever has three who died before reaching the age of puberty, Allah, the Almighty will admit him to Paradise by His mercy for their sake. It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about if they were two? He said: And also if they were two. The Second Advantage: Is to be protected from the tempting of Satan and breaking the desire, to lower the gaze, to preserve the chastity, as the Prophet said: Whoever has married has protected half his religion, so let him fear Allah in the other half. And he also said: You should marry, and whoever is unable must fast, as fasting breaks the desire. The Third Advantage: Is the companionship and enjoyment of each others company, giving happiness to the hearts, which will enable him to fulfill his worship, as the human soul, when it is bored, repels the truth, because it is against its nature. If it was obliged to continue with what it is opposed to, it will return back to falsehood. If it is amused by its pleasures from time to time, then it would be strengthened and active. In the company of women there is much rest and pleasure, which would negate the toil and weariness of the life and gladden the heart. The soul of the pious must have amusement in lawful pleasure, that is why Allah, the Almighty has said: Allah is the One Who fashioned you from one kind, and from that (kind) created his wife, that he might incline to her (Koran 7 verse 189). Ali - may Allah be pleased with him - said: Gladden your heart for an hour because if it is deprived it will become blind. In the tradition it was said: A wise man should have three hours, one hour to remember Allah, the Almighty, one hour to bring himself to account, and one hour for his eating and drinking and taking pleasure, as these hours will sustain him from the remaining hours. The Fourth Advantage: That his heart will not be occupied in running his house, domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning, furnishing, washing dishes preparing all the necessities of life, as if he was to take care of all this he would spend all his time and have no time left to gain knowledge or to work. The righteous woman who takes care of her housekeeping assists her husband in the religion, the destabilization of these matters will occupy and disturb the mind and make disharmony in the life. Abou Soliman Al Darani - may Allah have mercy upon him - said: The righteous wife is not of this life, she spares her husbands time for the Hereafter. The Fifth Advantage: Is in the disciplining of the soul, refining the character, and curing the sickness of the heart, and taking care of the rights of the wife and persevering in patience to tolerate any aggravation, to strive in reforming them and guiding them to the way of religion. To strive to gain the lawful for their sake and to care for the upbringing of the children, all these deeds are of great virtue. As to the discouragements to marriage there are three: Firstly: The major discouragement is the inability to seek the lawful. As this will not be easy for everyone, especially in these days when life is difficult. So marriage will be an increased burden and a cause to feed the family from unlawful means. Secondly: Failing to give them their rights and to be impatient towards any aggravation. To be pleasant with women and to carry on with them according to their lusts is easier than seeking the lawful. In this there is great danger because he is the shepherd and he will be questioned about his responsibility. The Prophet said: It is a great sin for a person to destroy his family by overlooking their errors and not correcting them. For this reason many people have renounced marriage saying that they are tested enough by themselves, so how could they add to that another soul. Ibrahim ibn Adham said: I would not delude a women by myself while I have no desire for them. What he means by this is he is unable to provide for them. Thus Bishr has renounced marriage saying: What prevented me from marriage is His saying, Glory be to Him, And women have rights equal to the obligations on them (Koran 2 verse 228). Thirdly: It is other than the first and second; that the wife and child draw one away from the remembrance of Allah and lure him to the life of this world and its gains in order for him to provide a good standard of living for his children, so he needs to earn enough money for them, to save for their future, and to be proud of them. All things, which draw you away from your remembrance of Allah, the Almighty, whether they are your wife, money or children, are ominous for the one who has them. If you say: Why then did Jesus renounce marriage in spite of its virtues? If it was better to renounce it for the sake of worshiping Allah, then why did our Prophet Muhammad marry several wives? Know that it is better to do both; to have more wives if you are fair between them and able to be equitable, and to worship Allah as nothing can keep you away from the remembrance of Allah. Our Prophet took the matter by his strength and did both marry and worship to his fullest extent, and in spite of his having nine wives nothing took him away from his worship of Allah, the Almighty. The Prophet, in his nobility, worldly matter did not hinder his heart from being always with Allah, the Revelations used to come down to him while he was in his wifes bed, so we should not make comparison between him and ourselves. But Jesus took the matter by firm resolve not by strength and decided to abstain from marriage, and maybe in his case marriage would have affected him differently, or would have been difficult for him to have done both, so he preferred to be fully in continuous worship. They are the best to know of their circumstances and the conditions prevailing in their time in the way of lawful gain and the character of women, and what is expected of the husband and the requirements for marriage. Whatever the situation was marriage would have been better in some cases and renouncing it better in others. We are obliged to look at the acts of the Prophets without criticism under all circumstances. Chapter Two Concerning What is to be Observed at the Time of a Marriage Contract Regarding the Status of the Woman and the Conditions of the Marriage The conditions and the pillars of the marriage contract, which make the marriage lawful are four: - The permission of the guardian, if there is no guardian then the Sultan. The acceptance of the woman if she is deflowered and reached the age of puberty or virgin and reached the age of puberty if the one who is her guardian is other than her father or grandfather. The presence of two just witnesses, if they are unjust, then it should be ruled that the marriage contract should be made out of necessity. Full response and acceptance, in the fullest meaning of the word, al inakah or al tazweeg (of marriage), or the given meaning in other languages, it should be uttered by those who have reached adulthood. As for reasons in taking a bride, there are two categories; one is for lawfulness, the other for betterment and to achieve the purpose of marriage: The first category, what is considered lawful is that she should be void of any condition prohibiting marriage. The prohibitions are nineteen: She is already married. She is in a period of prescribed waiting, due to widowhood or divorce. She is renegade from the religion due to uttering words of pagancy. She is a Zoastrian. She is an idol worshiper or an atheist who does not believe in any prophet or book. Of these are those who believe in feminism and permissiveness. Marriage to such is unlawful. Thus to every woman who believes in falsehood. She is from the people of the book who believed in their religions after changing or after the sending of the Prophet. She is a slave and the bridegroom is free and able to pay dowry for a free woman. If she belongs to the one she will marry as one that is possessed by the right hand. She is related to the bridegroom in origin or branches, or branches of first origin, or from first branches of each origin after origin. We mean here by origin, mothers and grandmothers, and by branches, children and grandchildren, and by branches of first origin, brothers and their children, and by first branches of each origin after origin, maternal and paternal aunts, other than their children. She is a sister in suckling. And what is forbidden in the relatives of origin and branches is forbidden in the sister in suckling. Prohibited by the relationship of marriage in that the one who is wishes to marry has married her daughter or her grandmother or his father or his son has married her before him. That she would be the fifth wife while he has still four other wives. If the one who wishes to marry is already married to her sister or her maternal or paternal aunt, and the marriage would gather these together. If the one who wishes to marry has divorced her three times already, then she will not be lawful to him unless she first marries another man and is then divorced from him and she waits the prescribed period. The one who wishes to marry her has divorced her before by swearing an oath accusing her of adultery, or she accuses him likewise, she will be prohibited to him forever. She is ward on the pilgrimage (hijr or umrah) or the one who wishes to marry is the same, no marriage contract is permissible until they complete the pilgrimage. If she is deflowered and under age, marriage is prohibited until she reaches the age of puberty. If she is an orphan she cannot marry until she reaches the age of puberty. If she is from the wives of the Prophet after him, or he has married her, they are the mothers of the believers. The qualities of betterment of living, which should be taken into account when enacting a contract to marry a woman and to achieve of the purpose of marriage are eight: She should be righteous and pious. This is the most important attribute to look for. She should be of good character as this is very important if you seek her assistance in strengthening your religion, because if she is loose tongued, badly behaved, ungrateful for any favor, her harm will be greater than her benefit. She should be beautiful, this is also desirable as with it you will preserve your chastity. As for her nature, she should not be ugly, as much as she should be beautiful so her nature should be beautiful, as the two should go hand in hand. The Prophet said: The best of your women is the one who if her husband looks at her she pleases him, and if he orders her to something she obeys, and if he is away she keeps him in herself and his wealth. Her dowry should be reasonable. The Prophet said: the best of the women are the beautiful in face and the least in dowry. She should be fertile, so if she was known to be barren, she should not be sought in marriage. The Prophet said: Marry the fertile and amicable. If she was not married and her condition was unknown, then watch for her health and youth as if she is healthy and young she will be fertile. She should be virgin. The Prophet said to Gaber when he married a deflowered woman: It would have been better if you had married a virgin, you would have enjoyed each other better. She should be from a religious family of good origin, as she will bring up her daughters and sons, and if she is not of good upbringing she will not be able to bring up her children well. The Prophet said: Stay away from the flower, which grows in the sewerage? He said: She is the beautiful woman of bad origin. He also said: Choose carefully for your sperm, because bad traits are inherited. She should not be from your close relatives as this diminishes the desire. The Prophet said: Do not marry a close relative, as the child will be born weakly. Chapter Three The Ethics of Intimacy and the Requirements for the Continuity of Marriage The first: The celebratory meal, it is preferable to hold one, Anas - may Allah be pleased with him - said: The Messenger of Allah noticed the traces of henna on Abd El Rahman ibn Awf - may Allah be pleased with him -, so he said: What is this? He replied: I married a woman and I gave her an ounce of gold as her dowry. So the Prophet said: May Allah bless your marriage, you should have a celebratory meal even with only a sheep. The Second: Dealing with wives in a good manner and tolerating their harm. Extend mercy towards them, Allah, the Almighty said: live with them in kindness (Koran 4 verse 19) and Allah, the Almighty also said regarding the importance of womens rights: and they have taken from you a firm covenant? (Koran 4 verse 21). The last thing, which the Prophet urged upon the Muslims concerned three matters, he spoke of these repeatedly until his voice was tired: Prayer and what your right hand possesses, do not compel them to anything they cannot do. Fear Allah in your women! Do treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers, remember that you have taken them as your wives and enjoyed their flesh only under the trust of Allah and with His permission. The Third: As well as tolerating their harm you should joke, exchange pleasantries and be lighthearted with them, because being lighthearted makes their hears feel better, the Prophet used to joke with his wives and deal with them according to their mentality, he used to work with them in their houses, to the point that he was seen running a race with Aisha, which sometimes she won and sometimes he won, and he used to say one day for you and one day for me. Umar - may Allah be pleased with him -, in spite of his nature being rough, said: A man must be like a child with his wife, but if they seek what he has, then they should find him a man. The Fourth: A man should not go too far in his joking and good manner with his wife and should not always condescend to her whims, because this will spoil her character and belittle him in her eyes. So he should take a middling course between the two. The Prophet said: Miserable is the slave of the wife. He only said that because if a man obeys his wifes every whim then he is her slave. The Arab women used to teach their daughters how to test their husbands, and the women used to say to her daughter: Test your husband before you dare on him; pull out the iron tip of his spear, if he says nothing, then try to cut the meat on his shield, if he says nothing, then break a bone with his sword, if he says nothing, then put the saddle on his back and ride him, he is only your donkey. The heavens and the earth were created in justice, anything, which exceeds its limit creates disharmony. The Fifth: Moderation in Jealousy: A man should not be excessively jealous, and in matters whose outcome concerns him, he should not ignore them from their onset. He should not permit himself to go to extremes in suspicion, obstinacy or spying out the secrets of the heart. The Prophet forbade us from pursuing the faults of women. The Prophet said: There is one kind of jealousy, which Allah, the Almighty loathes, that is the jealousy of a man for his wife without cause. Because of suspicion from, which we have been forbidden, as most suspicion is sin. As for jealousy with cause, it is unavoidable and praiseworthy. The Sixth: Moderation in Expenditure: A man should not be excessively tightfisted or spend excessively for his wife, but he should be moderate. The most important thing to be observed in expenditure is that he feeds her from lawful sources and he should not make money unlawfully for her sake, as this will be a great sin against her rather than care of her. The Seventh: The husband should be knowledgeable about the menses and its rules and circumstances, and he should teach his wife the regulations regarding prayer and what she should do during the menstrual period and after it. The Eighth: If he has more than one wife, he should deal equitably between them, and he should not favor one over another, and if he has to travel and wishes one of them to accompany him, he should casts lots to choose between them, thus did the Prophet. So if one wife wins the lot and so takes the turn of another wife, whose turn it was, then the other wife must have her turn replaced upon their return from the journey, and this is an obligation upon the husband. The Prophet said: Whoever has two wives, then he favors one over the other, on the Day of Judgment he will be brought out with one half of his body sideways. He should be fair in what he gives them and in spending the nights with them. As for love, this does not come within the realm of choice. Allah, the Almighty said: And you will never be able to be equitable between women even if you intend to (Koran 4 verse 129); this means you will never be able to be fair regarding the hearts emotion. The Ninth: The Violation of Marital duties on the part of either Husband or Wife: Whatever discord there is between them, which cannot be reconciled, if it was the mans fault, or from their joint faults, the wife should not be incited against her husband, and if the problem cannot be resolved then two arbitrators should be appointed, one from her side and one from his side to examine the matter and to try to reconciliate them. Allah, the Almighty said: And if you fear disunity between them, then send an arbiter from his side and an arbiter from her side, if they wish for reconciliation Allah will effect harmony between them (Koran 4 verse 35). Umar - may Allah be pleased with him - sent an arbitrator between a wife and husband, and he returned without being able to effect a reconciliation. So he raised his stick ready to strike him saying; Allah, the Almighty said: If they wish for reconciliation Allah will effect harmony between them, So the arbitrator had to return with a good intention and treat them kindly until he reconciled them. The Tenth: The Ethics of Marital Intercourse: The Prophet said: If any one of you when he approaches his wife says: Please Allah distance the Satan from us and distance Satan from what You will bestow on us. Then Allah bestows on them a child, Satan will never be able to harm him. Let there be foreplay between them and before approaching each other they should begin by exchanging pleasant words and kisses. The Prophet said: None of your should fall on top on his wife the way the animals fall on each other, but let there be between them a messenger. They asked: What is this messenger, O Prophet of Allah? He said: The kiss and the pleasant words. Then if he finishes first he should wait for his wife until she also finished. The Eleventh: The Ethics of Partuition are five: There should not be more rejoicing for a male child than for a female, because one does not know where the good lies. One should make the call to prayer in the ear of the infant at birth. Rafi has narrated from his father: I have seen the Prophet making the call to pray in the ear of Al Hasan when Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) gave birth to him. Call the child by a good name, this is the right of the child, even the miscarried fetus should be named. Al Aqiqah: (to slaughter an animal) for the male, two lambs, and for the female one lamb. To rub the roof of the childs mouth with a date or something sweet. The Twelfth: Divorce: Know that it is permissible but it is the most disliked of the permitted things in the sight of Allah, the Almighty. It is only permissible in order to avoid any harm or falsehood. Allah, the Almighty has said: if they return to obedience do not take punitive measures against them (Koran 4 verse 34) The husband must observe four conditions in divorce; first that he divorces her while she is in a state of purity; second that it is confined to one divorce and not to divorce three times at once, because one divorce after the prescribed period of waiting, can permit him to return his wife to him during that period, and he can renew the marriage after the prescribed period. Third, he should be kind and gentle and appreciate the circumstances during the divorce without being violent or oppressive, because that might make her feel what she would miss upon separation, and they might be guided to reconcile. Fourth, he should not expose her secrets whether in divorce or during the marriage. As it was narrated regarding exposing the womens secrets, that it is a great threat, and it was narrated of one of the righteous people, that when eh wanted to divorce a woman, he was asked what reason he had for divorcing her, he said: The man of sound mind does not disclose his wifes secrets. So when he divorced her he was asked: Why did you divorce her? He replied: I have no right to speak about the wife of someone else. The Rights of the Husband over his Wife Much evidence in the Tradition have been narrated concerning the importance of the husbands rights over his wife: The Prophet said: Any woman who dies while her husband is pleased with her, she will be admitted to Paradise. And the Prophet said: I have seen the Fire and I found most of its inhabitants are women. So they asked: Why, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Because they curse too much and have been ungrateful to their husbands. So it is his right that she should not give anything of his house except by his permission, but if she does so, the sin is on her, and the reward is for him. And of his rights is that she should not do any voluntary fasting except by his permission. The rights of the husband upon his wife are numerous: the most important are two: To keep him chaste and to cover his secrets. The other is that she should not ask him for things, which are unnecessary. To refrain from gaining anything unlawful. Thus were the habits of the women in the early days. When their husbands went out of their houses, the wives and daughters used to say: Refrain from gaining any unlawful things as we can bear hunger and pain but we cannot bear Hell Fire. It is a duty of the wife not to squander his money or wealth but she should assiduously keep it. The Ethics of Women The woman should stay in her house and should not go in and out of her house excessively, she should not speak excessively to neighbors, and she should not enter their homes except on occasion, she should keep her husband in his absence and seek his pleasure in all her acts. She should not betray him in his wealth or in herself. She should not go out of her house except by his permission. She must not meet the friend of her husband for any cause, her interests should be in amending herself in her affairs, in running her house, establishing her prayer and fasting, and she should be content with what Allah, the Almighty has bestowed upon her husband. She should prefer her husband before herself, and before all her relatives, she should keep herself clean and ready at all times for her husband to enjoy her whenever he wishes. She should be kind to her children, keep their secrets, refrain from insulting her children or arguing with her husband. And of her ethics also, is that she should not be proud because of her beauty, nor should she despise her husband if he is ugly. It was narrated that Al Asmoai said: I entered a scrub land and found a woman who had a most beautiful face married to a man who had the ugliest face, so I asked her: O you, how did you accept to marry someone like him? She said: Hold your tongue, you have uttered a wrong thing, he may be best in what is between himself and his creator, so He made me a reward for him, or it may be that I am the worst in what is between myself and my creator, so He made him my punishment. And from the ethics of the woman is that she should adhere to righteousness, and be sad in the absence of her husband, and to return to play and happiness and be the cause of enjoyment when he is present. And what is due upon her of the rights of marriage is that if her husband dies she should not be very grieved for more than four months and ten. And she should refrain from beautifying herself during this period. Of her ethics is that she should perform every duty in the house that she can do. It was narrated that Asmas bint Abou Bakr Sadiq (may Allah be pleased with them) said: Al Zubair married me and he does not have land or wealth and owns nothings except his horse and his baggage camel, so I was feeding his horse and fetching the supplies and brushing it, and I used to pound the date stones to feed the camel and water it and make the water skins, and I used to prepare the dough and carry on my head the date stones for long distances until Abou Bakr sent a servant for me, so she looked after the horse and I felt as if I was set free. The Third Book The Ethics of Earning a Livelihood Chapter One The Merits of Earning and Its Encouragement In the Koran Allah, the Almighty said: And We made the day for a livelihood. (Koran 78 verse 11) He mentions this to show His greatness to His servants. And He High Exalted said: We have established you on the earth, and provided you with sustenance, but you are seldom grateful. (Koran 7 verse 10) So your Lord has made it a bounty and He demands that you give thanks for it. and others are traveling through the land seeking Allahs bounty (Koran 73 verse 20) And High Exalted said: disperse in the land and seek Allahs bounty(Koran 62 verse 10) As for Tradition, the Prophet said: There are sins, which nothing can obliterate except the determination to make a living. And may Allah praise and venerate him said: On the Day of Judgment the truthful trader will be gathered with the saints and martyrs. It was told that Jesus (peace be upon him) saw a man and asked him: What do you do for a living? The man replied: I worship Allah. Jesus asked him: Who supports you? He answered: My brother. Jesus said: You brother worships more than you. In the sayings of Luqman the wise, to his son: O my son, the lawful earnings suffice you from poverty, when anyone is impoverished he is afflicted in three ways: he is weakened in religion, he is weak in his mind and he loses his sense of honor, and what is greater than these three is that the people disdain him. Umar - may Allah be pleased with him - said: None of you should slacken in seeking his bounty while saying Please Allah provide for me, while you know that the sky does not rain gold or silver. Umar - may Allah be pleased with him - saw Zayed ibn Maslamah sowing his land, so Umar said: You have done the right thing, if you have no need of anyone it will be better for your religion and make you better than them. Ibrahim ibn Yasid ibn Al Aswad al Nakhayi who died in the year 96 H, was asked about the honest trader: Is he preferable to you, or the one who spends all his time in worship? He said: The honest trader is preferable to me, because he is in jihad, Satan comes to him through the weighing and measuring and through his dealing, but he is striving against him. Ahmad was asked: What would you say about the person who sits in his house or in the mosque and says, I will do nothing until my provision comes to me? Ahmad replied: Such a person is ignorant. Has he not heard the saying of the Prophet: Allah make my provision under the shadow of my spear, and he also related that when the bird was mentioned to him he said: It goes out with an empty stomach and returns with a full stomach. Chapter Two The Science of Earning through Trade, Usury, As Salam (i.e. sale in, which price is paid for goods to be delivered later) Rental, Loans and Partnership First: Sales Contract God has permitted trade, it has three pillars. The First pillar: the parties to the contract, the trader is restrained from trading with any of the following four: - An infant child; a mentally disordered person; a slave; the blind; this is because the underage child is not responsible nor the madman. The Second pillar: concerns the goods to be supplied under the contract; the ownership of the merchandise intended to be transferred from one party in the contract to the other, six conditions pertain to it: Firstly, it should not be impure, it is not permitted to sell dogs or pigs. Secondly, it should be of benefit, so it is not permitted to sell insects, rats or snakes. But you may sell parrots, peacocks and all decorative birds, even if they are inedible, to enjoy the sight and sound of them is permissible, but the dog is a thing, which cannot be kept in the house for amusement, because the Prophet has forbidden us from doing so. Thirdly, the goods should belong to the contractor or he has permission from the owner to sell them. Fourthly, the goods must be physical and available, whatever cannot be physically handed from one to another cannot be sold, such as fish in the sea, unborn cattle and the fleece upon the sheep, nor the milk in the udder. Anything, which cannot be lawfully handed over, such as mortgaged property or frozen assets, cannot be sold. Fifthly, the goods must be detailed and their kind and amount specified. Sixthly, the sold goods must be exchanged for their price in money. If the goods were to be bartered in exchange for something else, this is a special case. The Prophet forbade the sale of something, which is not fully paid for. The Third pillar: The terms of the contract, there must be an offer and acceptance in clear understandable language, whether verbal or written. Second: Usury Contract God Almighty has prohibited usury, and financiers have been warned from dealing in it, and likewise those who deal in foodstuffs, as there is no usury except in money or food. The money dealer should beware if he wants to sell or exchange money for other money, it must be face to face and the exchange must take place in the same sitting. They should not exchange inferior quality for superior quality, as it is only permissible to deal in like quality. It is not permissible to buy a greater quantity of bad quality goods and pay for it with a lesser quantity of good quality goods. What is meant here is that you are allowed to sell gold for gold and silver for silver. As to those who deal in foodstuffs who wish barter their goods, the barter must be concluded in one sitting, whether the foods to be bartered are different kinds or not. But if they are from the same kind, then they should exchange them and observe the like quality. Third: As Salam Contract (i.e. sale in, which price is paid for goods to be delivered later) The trader must observe ten conditions with regard to the As Salam Contract: First: The value of the contract must be known so that he dealing does not exceed them, if the delivery is not made in due time the injured party can return a claim against this value. Second: The value should be verified as existing at the sitting before the parties leave. Third: The goods to be sold must be specified, such as grain, livestock, metals, cotton or wool. It is not permissible in the case of pastries or any substance of, which its components can spoil. Fourth: The description given must be checked and verified. Fifth: The period of time must be specified, if it is to be a payment in arrears, it should not be delayed until harvest, nor cropping, but it must be specified in days and months. Sixth: The goods to be sold must be delivered in a ready form for the store, secure and present. Seventh: The place of delivery must be mentioned. Eighth: The goods are not to be defined as originating from a specific place. Ninth: The goods are not to be defined as being contained in specific container of a type, which is impossible to find. Tenth: It should not be delivered in food, even if the capital was food, nor be handed in cash even if the capital was cash. Fourth: Rental Contract There are two pillars: the rent and the benefit. Rent is the value of money; it should be known and specified with all its conditions as in a contract for sale. The second pillar: The benefit intended from the rental there are five conditions pertaining to it: First: There should be work or effort exerted for rent. Second: The rental should not be made for a use other than the prime use of what is rented, for example you cannot rent a cow to work and then milk it. Third: The work should be physically and lawfully appropriate. A weak person should not be hired to do strenuous work he cannot do, nor can a mute be hired to teach in a school. Fourth: Rental cannot be made for work, which is an obligatory duty on a person, such as hiring a person to fast, pray or do jihad in ones place. Fifth: The work and the benefit should be known. The dressmakers work is apparent in the dress, the teachers work is apparent in the lesson. Fifth: Contract of Loan There are three pillars: First: The value of the loan, it should be ready cash paid to the borrower who is going to work with it. Second: The profit should be declared to be a condition that he will gain a half or a third or whatever they agree. Third: The work, which the borrower will use the loan for must be a trade in, which he is not restricted to one type of business or to a period of time. If it is a condition that he will purchase cattle with the money to obtain its young, then they will share the young, or they will buy wheat, then they will bake and share the profit, this will not be correct. Sixth: Contract of Partnership This falls into four types. Three of them are unlawful, according to the Al Shafi school of thought. First: The negotiated company, that is when two partners say, we have negotiated to share in all what we have and what we owe and what is beneficial. This is unlawful. Second: The partnership of labor. This is to agree together to share the wages of work. This is unlawful. Third: The partnership for influence: This is to say that one partner has higher standing than the other and he will use it in order to propagate and increase their business in ways other than of work. This is also unlawful. But what is correct is the fourth, which is called a joint partnership. This is when their money is joined together to the point that you cannot distinguish what belongs to one from the other except by division, each one would permit the other to manage the company in equal power. They share profit and loss according to their mutual shares and this must be an irrevocable agreement. The power of managing the company can be removed by dismissal, and by division the two parties can separate. Chapter Three An Exposition on Justice and Avoidance of Injustice in Dealing First Part: General harm. Its various Forms: The First: The monopoly, the seller of foodstuffs withhold stocks of food in anticipation of raising the price, this is to the general harm and the one who commits it is blameworthy according to he Shariah. Ali - may Allah be pleased with him - said: Whoever monopolises food for forty days, his heart is hardened. And he also said: The one who monopolises food will be burnt in the Fire. The Second: The one who circulates counterfeit money is unjust because he harms thereby the dealer who buys from him without knowing, and if he knows he will circulate it to the others, and thus the third and fourth and it will pass from hand to hand until the harm is general and the corruption has spread everywhere. So the sin of all of them goes back to the one who started it. The Prophet said: Whoever originates a bad deed, then the people work with it after him, he will carry the sin of it and the like of all those who worked with it, and this will not diminish from them any of their sin. Someone said: Spending one forged dirhem is worse than stealing one hundred dirhems because theft is one sin, which is committed in one action, but spending a forged coin is an invention against the religion and it is a bad deed, which others will work with, so the sin of it will be upon him after his death for a hundred or two hundred years or more until that forged coin is no more. Second Part Harm Specific to the Dealer The overall rule is that he should not love for his brother except what he loves for himself, so whatever he dislikes to deal with for himself he should not deal with for the others. The expounding of it is in four parts: the description of something good, which is not in it or the concealing of something bad, which is in it. The weight and the value of anything should not be concealed, nor should you conceal anything concerning the price, which if it were known to the dealer he would not have bought it. The First: The description of the goods should not be overpraised because if it is not there it is a lie. If the buyer accepts this then it is injustice as well as a lie. If he does not accept then it is a lie and a loss of virtue. The Second: He should reveal all defects in the goods whether apparent or not, and he should not conceal anything in it as this is an obligation, if he hides something he is unjust and deceitful, deceit is unlawful. What indicates that cheating is unlawful. It was narrated the Prophet passed a man selling fruit and he like the look of it, and when he entered his hands into it he noticed that it was wet, so he said: What is this? The man said: The sky rained on it. Then the Prophet replied: You should have put it on top of the food so that the people can see it. Whoever cheats us is not one of us. The Third: The amount must not be concealed or diminished by rigging the scale or tampering with the weights. He must measure as he would like the people to measure for himself. Allah, the Almighty said: Woe to those who give insufficient measure, * Who when others measure for them they take full measure * But when they measure out, or weight out for others, they give less than due. (Koran 83 verses 1-3) The Fourth: He must be truthful about the current price, and not conceal anything about it, as the Prophet has forbidden lying about local prices. Also the Prophet has forbidden that someone stands before the seller while a buyer is negotiating with him, then he interferes by asserting he will buy at a higher price, although he has no intention of buying, in order only to force the price up on the buyer. Chapter Four Equitable Dealing Allah, the Almighty has enjoined upon us justice and equitability. Justice is a cause for salvation and in trade it is a greater requirement than that of capital. Equitability is a cause for happiness and success and in trade it is an essential requirement. A wise person does not barter the dealing of this life in preference of the Hereafter. In the dealing for the Hereafter the religious person should not confine himself only to justice and distancing himself from injustice while leaving aside equitability. One can gain the grade of equitability with one of the following six matters: One should not defraud his friend. If a buyer wants to pay more money than the usual price, because of his strong wish to help the seller due to his circumstances, the seller should not accept that, this is the equitable behavior. In tolerating defrauding, if the buyer buys food from a poor person whose circumstances indicate this, there is no blame on him if he overlooks any increase in the price and he should accept this with understanding and feel that his desire is to do the right thing according to the saying of the Prophet: Allah will have mercy upon the one who is easy in selling and easy in buying. But if he is buying from a rich trader who demands an excessive price, which is more than the buyer can afford, here the toleration of the defrauding is not praiseworthy but it is a waste of money without reward. Debt collection, equitable dealing in it is praiseworthy. On one occasion one should pardon, and on another one should permit them more time, and on yet another one should show them your mercy. The Prophet said: Allah will have mercy upon the one who is easy in selling and easy in buying, easy in paying his debts and easy in demanding debts. The repayment of debts, it is equitable to pay your debts once you are able without delay, and that it you should walk to the one who you owe money and pay him back in time without causing him to have to come to you and demand it. The Prophet said: The best one of you is the one who pays his debt equitably. The return of sold goods, one should accept with ease any goods you have sold to anyone if that person would be harmed in the purchase of them. As one should not accept to be a cause to harm another person. The Prophet said: Whoever easily accepts the return of a deal from a regretful person, Allah, the Almighty will ease for him his difficulty on the Day of Judgment. In dealing with poor people one must have mercy and kindness and afford them their self-respect. The righteous people before us used to have two books for debts, one was coded so that no one would know the identities, this was the book for the poor and needy people, the poor people used to see the food and fruit and desire to have it, so they would go and say we need five pounds weight, for example, of this or that, and I have no money to pay you. They used to say to them, take what you want and pay when you are able. This gives the poor man the choice of paying if he is able or of being pardoned from payment. This was the manner of trading of the early Muslims. The one who still acts in this way is reviving the ordinance of the righteous. However, trading is a test for men, with it you can examine a mans religion and his piety and see how righteous he is. This is why it was said: If a man was praised by his neighbors, and by his friends while traveling together, and by his dealers in the markets, do not have any doubt about his righteousness. Chapter Five Regarding the Traders Concern for his Religion in his Affairs and in what Relates to his End The traders concern for his religion is shown in seven ways: When he commences trading he does so with a good intention and that he intends from his business to suffice himself to avoid asking others for any help, to live lawfully, and to use what he gains from his business in the way of Allah. He should intend in his business that he is doing his collective duty for if industry and trade were abandoned life would come to a stop and the people would perish. If every individual or group performs a specific duty life will proceed in an orderly manner, but I fall people concentrated on one trade then necessities would not be found and general destruction would ensue. In this way the people have followed the saying of the Prophet: The diversity of my nation is a mercy. This means the diversity of their professions and trades. The market of this worldly life should not deter him from seeking the market of the Hereafter, the markets of the Hereafter are the mosques, Allah, the Almighty said: Men who are not diverted by trade or merchandise from remembrance of Allah, and from establishing prayer and paying the alms. (Koran 24 verse 37). From the righteousness of the early Muslims who used to make the start of the day and the end of the day for the Hereafter, and the middle of the day for trade. One should not be over eager to trade, so that he is the first to arrive and the last to leave. He should restrict himself to only distancing himself from the unlawful, but he should avoid matters in, which there is doubt, and he should not seek after fatwa but should consult his own heart. If he finds that his heart is uneasy he should abstain from it, if someone brings him goods of, which he is doubtful, he should inquire about it until he feels sure, otherwise he would be consuming the dubious. He must be aware of all his dealings and of each and every deal with his dealers, because he himself is watched and will be questioned, he should prepare the answer for the Day of Reckoning and Retribution, in every act and saying of his: why he did so? And for what? It has been said that on the Day of Judgment the merchant will stand beside each person he sold to and he will be questioned regarding every worker who worked for him. The Fourth Book The Book of the Lawful and the Unlawful Chapter One On The Virtues of Halal (the lawful) and the Evils of the Haram (the unlawful) An Exposition on the types of Halal and its degrees and types of Haram and its degrees, and abstention of it The lVirtues of Halal and the Evil of the Haram The evidence for the virtues of the Halal and the evils of the Haram, Allah, the Almighty said: eat of the good things and do righteous deeds (Koran 23 verse 51). He commands the eating of good before good deeds. It is said what is meant by this is the lawful. Allah, the Almighty said: And do not usurp one anothers property by false means (Koran 2 verse 188) Allah, the Almighty said: O you who believe! Fear Allah and relinquish whatever remains from usury if you are believers; (Koran 2 verse 278), then He said: But if you do not, then be warned of a war from Allah and His Messenger; yet if you repent you shall have your capital fairly. (Koran 2 verse 279) And He said: but whoever reverts, those are the inhabitants of the Fire, to dwell there forever. (Koran 2 verse 275) At first He warns against the devouring of usury, finally He decrees punishment with the Hell Fire for it. As to the Tradition the Prophet said: It may be that someone has uncombed hair, dusty clothes and looks like an itinerant, his food is haram, his clothes are haram and his living is haram, then he raises his hands to heaven and says: O my Lord! O my Lord! How would Allah accept his prayer? The Prophet also said: Every piece of flesh, which is developed from haram is in the Fire. As to the sayings it was narrated that Abou Bakr al Siddiq - may Allah be pleased with him - was offered milk by one of his servants, which he had earned, so he asked the servant from where he had got the milk, so he said he acted as a fortune teller for some people and they gave him the milk in reward. Abou Bakr stuck his finger down his throat several times and regurgitated the milk back out, then he said: Please my Lord I apologize to You for what my veins have carried and for what is mixed in my stomach. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: Allah does not accept the prayer of one who carries something unlawful in his stomach. It was narrated that a righteous person sent food to somebody, then when he did not eat it, he asked him: Why did you not eat it? He answered: We do not eat except halal, our hearts have been set straight upon that and we wish our situation to continue until we see the dominions of Allah, the Almighty and the Hereafter, had we eaten from what you eat for three days we would lose all the certainty we have in our hearts, and then the fear of Allah and the hope of the Hereafter would have gone from our hearts. So the righteous man told him: I fast all the time, and I complete the Qurn thirty times a month. So the person said to him: This drink, which you saw me drinking during the night is better to me than thirty completions of the Qurn in three hundred kneelings of your deeds, and the drink was a milk of a wild gazelle. It was narrated that Ali - may Allah be pleased with him - did not eat, after Osman ibn Affan was killed and his house was destroyed, except food, which was sealed, in fear of doubts or uncertainty. The Types of Halal and its Degrees Money can be unlawful for a reason of itself or because of the way it was gained. This is explained in two parts: The First Part The Unlawful for a Reason in Itself The expounding of this is that the edible material on the earth is no more than three types: either mineral, such as salt, mud, etc., or plant or animal. Mineral: This is part of the earth and all that can be extracted from it. So eating it is not forbidden unless it is a substance harmful to the body, as some of it is poisonous. Bread, if it were harmful, would be forbidden. Plants: Those, which are forbidden are only those, which intoxicate the mind, or kill or destroy the health. As to the intoxicants; these are anesthetic, alcohol and all intoxicants, which kill and poison. Whatever destroys the health and medicine, which is used unnecessarily. Animals: These are divided into the edible and the inedible; we have expounded these in the Book of the Ethics of Eating. The Second Part The Unlawful for the Way it was Gained This comprises six parts: The first part: What is taken from places that are unowned, such as from a mine, by hunting, gathering firewood, drinking from rivers, and cutting wild grasses. All these are lawful on the condition that what you have taken has not been collected by someone before you. The second part: What is forcibly taken, such as war spoils and all the wealth belonging to the pagans and their fighters, this is all lawful to the Muslims if they pay from it one fifth and divide the remainder between those who deserve it. The third part: What has been taken forcibly due to an unpaid debt. This is lawful if there is a cause, which was ruled upon by a judge or sultan. The fourth part: What has been taken by being readily given to you in compensation. This is lawful if the conditions of compensation and the offer and acceptance agreed upon it. The fifth part: What has been taken readily without compensation is lawful if the conditions of the contract agreed to it and it does not result in harming an inheritor or another. The sixth part: That, which you have no choice in its acquisition, such as inheritance, is lawful if the deceased gained the money in one or other of the abovementioned five ways. The Degrees of Halal and Haram Know that all the Haram is bad but some of it is worse than others. Halal is all good, but some of it is better than others. The Fifth Book The Ethics of Companionship and Fellowship with various types of Men Chapter One On the Virtues of Companionship and Fellowship, its Conditions, Degrees, Benefits On the Virtues of Companionship and Fellowship Know that companionship is the fruit of good manners, separation is the fruit of bad manners. So good manners yield cordiality and companionship and coexistence. But bad manners yield hatred, envy and discord. As much as the producer is praiseworthy the fruit will be likewise. The virtues of good manners are evident in religion, Allah, the Almighty praised His Prophet for his good manners: And surely you are of a great morality. (Koran 68 verse 4) The Prophet said: The greatest aid in admittance to Paradise is to fear Allah and good manners. The Prophet said: I was sent to fulfill good manners. Jesus said: Make yourself likeable to Allah by your hatred for those who commit sins, and make yourself closer to Allah by distancing yourself from them, and seek the pleasure of Allah in your hatred of them. They said: O Jesus! Who should we sit with then? He replied: Sit with those who when you see them you remember Allah, and the one whose words increases your deeds, and whose deeds encourage you towards the End. In the sayings of the Companions, Ali - may Allah be pleased with him - said: Adhere to your fellows, surely they are help for your life and the Hereafter, do you hear the saying of the inhabitants of the Fire? So we have no intercessors * Nor any true friend. (Koran 26 verse 100-101) Abd Allah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said: If I had fasted the day and would not break it, if I stood all night in prayer without sleeping, and had spent all my money in the cause of Allah, I die the day I will die and there is love in my heart for the people who obey Allah, the Almighty, and I hate the people who disobey Allah, none of this would benefit me. Umar - may Allah be pleased with him - said: If any of you have gained some affection from his brother he should hold to it, it is very rare to gain something like this. Al Fadil ibn Ayyad said: The look of a man to the face of his brother with mercy and affection is worship. An Exposition on the Description of the One to be Chosen for Fellowship Know that not every human is suitable for fellowship. The Prophet said: The person is on the religion of his friend, so you should choose carefully who you take as a friend. A friend must have a distinguished nature and character for, which you desire his friendship. What is derived from friendship are religious and worldly benefits: as to the worldly benefits, it may be to benefit from his wealth or his influence, or just to have the benefit of his companionship and nearness. As for the religious benefit, there are various aspects, from these is the benefit of knowledge and deeds, also the use of influence to be protected from the harm of those who cast doubt in the hearts and hinder worship. And of these is the benefit of wealth to save the time spent in making a living, and to have assistance in times of hardship and difficulty, there is the benefit to be blessed by the prayers offered for your sake, as well as the expectation of intercession in the Hereafter, as some of the first Muslims have said: Make more friends because for every believer there is an intercession, and you may be included in the intercession of your friend. These are all benefits and each of them holds conditions, which are not gained except through them, as we explain. There are five conditions, which qualify the one who you choose as a friend: He must be sound of mind, of good manner, not wicked nor one who invents in the religion, nor should he be eager for the worldly life. Allah, the Almighty has said: And do not obey the one who follows his own lusts and so his heart has become unmindful of Our remembrance (Koran 18 verse 29) Chapter Two The Due Rights of Brotherhood and Companionship The Rights in Wealth The Prophet said: The similitude of two brothers (in Islam) is as two hands, one washes the other. This means they share together difficulty and joy, wealth and circumstance. Once you have sensed that your bother is in need of something, go offer it to him at once, do not wait for him to come to you to ask for it, because if you leave him until he asks it is a shortcoming on your side in brotherhood. The Rights of Intervening for your Brother Spontaneously and in Preference to Ones own Requirements One should intervene before one is asked and to offer help with all happiness and show joy in doing so. Someone said: If you asked your brother to do something for you, then he did not do it, remind him again, in case he has forgotten. Ibn Chabranah did a great favor for some brethren of his, so they brought him a present, and he asked: What is this? They said: This is for what you have done for us. He said: Take your gift, may Allah pardon you. And if you ask your brother to do something for you and he did not bother, you should wash to pray and repeat Allah is Great four times, and consider him dead. Ghaffar ibn Muhammad said: I vie in doing favors for my enemies in fear of their going away from me and seeking someone else. If this so regarding enemies, then how much more it should be regarding friends. The early Muslims used to look after the family of their brethren for forty years after the death of a father among them, they used to attend to all the familys needs and visit them every day to supply them from their wealth so that they did not feel in need of anything other than their father who had died. They used to receive from them things, which even their father had not bought for them in his life. The priority of your brothers need should be the same as your own. With Regard to the Tongue, Silence and Speaking Silence is to refrain from making mention of the shortcomings of your fellow Muslim in his absence or in his presence. You should not spy or attempt to know anything of his circumstances or situation. Mention of his bad behavior or that of his family is backbiting, and this is unlawful and forbidden to every Muslim. Ibn Mubarak said: The true believer seeks excuses while the hypocrite seeks the shortcomings. As it is an obligation on you to restrain your tongue from making mention of his shortcomings, so it also an obligation to restrain your heart from misthinking, as misthinking is the backbiting of the heart, and that is also prohibited to every Muslim. Speaking Out Just as brotherhood requires that you should refrain from mentioning the shortcomings of your brother, it is also an obligation upon you to speak out about virtuous behavior, it is a due right in brotherhood. Whoever is content with silence then he is a companion of the inhabitants of the grave. As silence is to refrain from harm so to speak out about virtuous behavior is an obligation. One should show with ones tongue the extent of your happiness in sharing the happiness of his brother, the true meaning of brotherhood is to share mutual difficulty and ease. The Prophet said: If any one of you likes his brother, he should inform him. Al Shafi said: Whoever admonishes his brother in private he has advised and honored him, but if he admonishes him openly he has disgraced him. The Pardoning of Minor Faults and Mistakes The minor faults of friends are either in his religion by committing a sin, or in your due rights upon him in his neglect towards your friendship. As to what he commits of sin against this religion and his persistence in it, it is your duty to admonish him gently regarding his faults and to try to bring him to control himself to return to righteousness and piety. If he still persists and you cannot effect any change upon him, the opinion of the Companions of the Prophet varied regarding whether to either continue in his affection or to boycott him completely. Abou Zarr - may Allah be pleased with him - favored boycott and said: If your brother has turned around from his way, hate him as you loved him. And he saw that according to the principle that Love should be in Allah and hate should be in Allah. But About Darda and his group of the Companions favored the opposite, and Abou Darda said: If your brother has changed from his way, do not leave him to that. Definitely your brother will sometimes be straight and sometimes be deviant. As to his mistakes towards his friend, it has been agreed that to pardon and tolerate is the best course of action. As much as your brother has apologized to you, whether he was sincere or not, you must accept his apology. Chapter Three Regarding the Rights of the Muslim, the Womb and Neighbor Know that the human must be either alone or with another, if he finds it difficult to live except by mixing with someone of his race, he cannot do that except by learning the ethics of mixing. The relationship is either the close relatives, which is the most important tie, or the brotherhood of Islam, which is a general tie, which under the headings of brotherhood, friendship, companionship, neighborliness, traveling companions, workmates and schoolmates. To each of these relationships are degrees. The close relatives have due rights, but the womb relationship is a sacred one, and to the sacred is a right, but the rights of the parents are definite and greater. Thus is the neighbors right, but it varies according to his proximity to your house. Acquaintances have degrees of right, the one who you have seen and know, his right is not as the one who you know of by hearsay. And after acquaintance has taken place, it becomes stronger upon familiarity. Thus is the companionship, which varies in its degrees, the right of the companion at school or in the workplace is stronger than the right of the traveling companion. Also friendship varies in degrees of right, if it is very strong it becomes brotherhood, and if it increases more it becomes an affection, and if it increases yet more it becomes a bosom friendship, and the bosom friend is closer than the beloved one. The Rights of the Muslim There rights of the Muslim are: If you meet him, you must salute with a greeting of peace, to answer him if he invites you, to invoke blessings upon him if he sneezes, to visit him if he is sick, to attend his funeral when he dies, to comply with his oath if he swears upon a thing, to offer your advice if he seeks it, to preserve him in his absence, and to love for him what you love for yourself, and to hate for him what you hate for yourself. The Prophet said: If you are seated with others then you wish to leave, you must give greetings of peace, but if you see that it is necessary for you to stay, then if you wish to leave again, you must give greetings of peace again, as the first is not more worthy than the last. And he also said: If you see me coming, do not stand for me, this is only the way of the unbelievers. Gaber and Abou Talha said: We heard the Prophet say: Any Muslim who assists another Muslim when his honor has been violated, and his integrity has been breached, most surely Allah will assist him to a position to, which he likes to be assisted. And any person who abandons a Muslim when his integrity has been breached, most surely Allah will abandon him in a position where he will need to be assisted. The Prophet said with regard to sneezing: One who sneezes must say: All praise be to Allah for all things, and the one who hears him must say: Allah give you mercy, the one who sneezes must reply, May Allah guide you and give you serenity. A Muslim should distance himself from mixing with the rich, and he should prefer the company of the humble, he should be kind to orphans. The Prophet said: Please Allah make me live humbly and make me die humbly and gather me with the humble. The Prophet said: Whoever visits a sick person is like the one who sits in a garden in spring breezes, and when eh stands up seventy thousand angels are entrusted to pray upon him until the night. Attending funerals: The Prophet said: Whoever attends a funeral, he will get one qirat of reward, and if he waits until the burial, he will get two qirats. The Rights of Neighbors Know that the neighbor has rights beyond the rights of brotherhood. The Muslim neighbor deserve what every Muslim deserves and more. The Prophet said: Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day let him honor his neighbor. The Prophet also said: No servant will be a believer until his neighbor is safe from his harm. It was said to the Prophet: A woman fasts the day and prays all night, but she harms her neighbors. He said: She is in the Hell Fire. The Rights of the Relatives and the Womb The Prophet said: Allah High Exalted says: I am the Merciful, (al rahman) and this is the womb (al rahma), I cut for her a name of Mine, so whoever joins it, I will join him, and whoever severs it, I will sever him. The Prophet said: Whoever wishes to have his life prolonged and his bounty extended, let him join his womb relations. The Rights of Parents and Child It is not unheard of that of the of the rights of the womb and the relatives the most important are the rights of the womb, and of these the greatest is that of parturition. The due rights in it are double. The Prophet said: Being good to parents is much better than praying and charity and fasting and pilgrimage and Umrah and jihad for the cause of Allah. And the Prophet said: Be good to your mother and your father, and your sister and your brother, then whoever follows them in kin. And he also said: The greatest goodness is that a person continues the goodness his father extended to his family after his father has gone. It is preferable to be kind and affectionate to your child: Al Aqrah ibn Habis saw the Prophet kissing his grandson al Hasan, so Al Aqrah said: I have ten children and I have never kissed any of them! The Prophet said: The one who does not show mercy will never see any. Abou Said al Houdari said: A man from Yemen migrated to the Prophet wishing to join Jihad, the Prophet said: Are your parents in Yemen? The man said: Yes. The Prophet asked: Did you obtain their permission? He said: No. The Prophet said: Return back to your parents and seek their permission, if they grant you their permission, then join the jihad, otherwise be good to them as much as you can. This is the best, which you will meet Allah, the Almighty with after certifying that there is none but Him. The Sixth Book On Seclusion Chapter One Schools of Thought Regarding Seclusion, the Sayings and Each Partys Opinion The various schools of thought and many righteous ancestors have held differing views regarding seclusion. Some have preferred seclusion to associating. Among these were Sufian al Thawrri, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Dawoud al Tai, Fudail ibn Iyad, suliman al Khawas, Yousef ibn Asbat, Hozafah al Marashi and Bishr al Hafi. Most of the righteous ancestors have preferred associating and having more acquaintances, friends, brothers, and to drawing close to the believers to assist them in the religion, and to cooperate together in piety and goodness. They number among them, Said ibn al Maseeb, al Shabi, Ibn Abi Layla, Hisham bin Auwra, Ibn Shbromah, Churiah, Charik bin abdAllah, Ibn Oyeenah, Ibn Al Mubarak, Al Shafi, Ahmad Bin Hanbal, and others. The Argument of Those who Favor Associating and its Weakness They argue according to the sayings of Allah, the Almighty: And do not be as those who are divided and differ (Koran 3 verse 105) And He High Exalted also said: and He brought your hearts together (Koran 3 verse 103) He bestows upon the people by the cause, which brought their hearts together. This is a weak argument because what is meant by this differs in opinion and schools of thought regarding the Book of Allah and the roots of Shariah. What is meant by bringing hearts together is to extract any hatred from the hearts, as it is the cause for disharmony. Seclusion does not contradict that. They also used the sayings of the Prophet: The believer is likable, there is no goodness in the one who does not like others, nor others like him. This is a weak argument because it indicates the blameworthy aspects of the bad character, which prevent friendship. They also use his saying: Whoever departs from the group one hand span has taken the bond of Islam from his neck. And he also said: Whoever departs from the group, then dies, he has died in unbelief. This argument is weak because what is meant by this Hadith is the group, which agrees by consensus on one Imam, so disagreement with them is wrongdoing. The argument of those who favor Seclusion They argue by means of what Allah, the Almighty said in the account of Ibrahim (peace be upon him): And I will stay away from you and that you invoke other than Allah; I will invoke my Lord alone, that I may be blessed in my invocation. (Koran 19 verse 48) Then Allah High Exalted said: So when he distanced himself from them and that, which they worshipped other than Allah; We granted to him, Isaac and Jacob, and each one of them We made a Prophet. (Koran 19 verse 49) Indicating that this is by the blessings of seclusion. This argument is weak because there is no goodness in associating with unbelievers except calling them to Islam, and when you despair of that, you must depart their company. While the argument is about associating with Muslims and what blessing there is in it. They also argue by means of the sayings of Moses (peace be upon him): And if you do not believe in me, leave me alone (Koran 44 verse 21) Here Moses has fled into seclusion when he despaired from them, and Allah High Exalted said about the people of the cave: And when you have gone apart from them and that they worship other than Allah, take refuge in the Cave, and your Lord will extend to you His Mercy (Koran 18 verse 16) He commanded them to seclude themselves. Our Prophet secluded himself from Quraish when they harmed him, and he ordered his Companions to seclude themselves and to emigrate to Abyssinia, then they joined him in Madinah after Allah, the Almighty gave them victory there. This is also seclusion from the unbelievers after despairing from them. As the Prophet did not seclude himself from the Muslims, nor from those who he expected to be Muslim from among the unbelievers. The people of the cave were believers and they did not seclude themselves from each other, but they secluded themselves from the pagans, while the argument that is raised here is the seclusion of Muslims from each other. Chapter Two The Benefits of Seclusion The benefits of seclusion are divided into Religious benefits and worldly benefits: The religious benefits are divided into what you can gain from worship in seclusion, by consistency in worship and reflection and pursuing of knowledge, to avoiding temptations, which are prevalent in associating with people, such as: hypocrisy, backbiting, failure to enjoin good and forbid evil, to be influenced by associating with people of bad character and behavior. As to the worldly benefits are divided into what you can gain from seclusion, as the professional would be able in his seclusion to avoid the forbidden things he exposes himself to when eh associates with others, such as being deluded by this worldly life and how everyone vies for the gains of this life, his greed for gaining what the people have and their greed towards what he has. Associating will show up his virtues, if he has any, he will be harmed by the bad manner of the one he spends time with, he will have to argue with him all the time, or be harmed by his misthinking or his backbiting or envy or the harm of his heavy personality or ugliness of character. Avoiding these is the benefit of seclusion. The Disadvantages of Seclusion Know that to achieve the religious and worldly aims you must be assisted by the others, and that will not be achieved except by associating with others. All, which is of benefit to you in associating is missed in seclusion, and what is missed is of the disadvantages of seclusion. So look to the benefits of associating and the need for it, and what you gain from it, such as mutual benefit, teaching and instruction, to gain the reward for standing for justice and due right, humility, the benefit gained from the experience of others, and the use of it as an example for yourself. These are among the benefits of associating with others. The Seventh Book The Ethics of Travel Chapter One Concerning the Ethics for the Journey from Outset to the Return and the Intention of Traveling and Its Benefits Part One The Benefit of Travel and its Excellence and Intention Know that travel is a kind of movement and association in, which there are advantages and disadvantages. The benefits, which are an incentive to travel are derived either from fleeing from something or seeking something. The traveler may be traveling because there is some disturbance in the place he lives, and if the disturbance had not occurred he would not have traveled, or he might have a purpose for, which he travels, or he may be seeking something somewhere. Taking flight from a matter, which is harmful to him in his worldly affairs: such as the plague, a local epidemic, or fear of adversity, or cost of living. It is either collective or individual as in the case of one who has the intention to escape from some harm in his own town. As for the religious benefits, such as when someone has been tried with influence and wealth and many causes, which hindered him from devoting himself to Allah alone, he would prefer travel and laziness and to distance himself from wealth and influence, or as in the one who has been forced into invention, or has been appointed to a position, which is unlawful for him, so he seeks to take flight from it. What is required from traveling is either worldly things such as wealth and influence, or religious. The religious is either knowledge or work. Knowledge is either religious science or human science or the science of the earth and its wonders, as the journey of Zul Qarnain in his tour around the earth. Work is either worship or a visit, worship is pilgrimage, Umrah and Jihad. The visit is also of devotion, such as the intention to visit a place like Makkah or Jerusalem, and ports like Alexandria, as staying there is a kind of devotion, or it may be the intention is to visit the righteous people and the scholars and they are either dead, so you visit their graves, or alive, and you will be blessed by seeing them. You would benefit from seeing their circumstances in strengthening your desire to take them as your example. These are the benefits of travel, and we gain from it that travel is divided into blameworthy, praiseworthy, and the permissible. The blameworthy is divided into the unlawful such as the pilgrimage and the quest for knowledge, which is an obligation upon every Muslim, the commendable such as visiting scholars and observing them. From all these the intention of travel is clear, as the meaning of the intention is the incentive, which causes you to travel and the setting out to answer the invitation. Let him have the Hereafter as his intention in all his travels, and that is evident in the obligatory and the commendable, but it is impossible in the disliked and forbidden. As for the permissible, it depends upon the intention. As long as his intention in seeking wealth is to suffice himself from asking, and to keep the dignity of his family and to spend in charity according to what can be afforded, this permissible will become, with this intention of the Hereafter, work. But if he traveled to make pilgrimage but his incentive was for show, that would be out of being acts of the Hereafter, this is because of what the Prophet said: Surely the deed is according to the intention. Part Two Concerning the Ethics of the Traveler from his Setting Out to his Return The traveler should pay his debts before leaving, and make arrangements for those he is obliged to support, and return all trusts to their owners, if he has any, and he should not take with him any provisions except what is lawful and good. And he should take extra provisions with him to give to his traveling companions. Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said: From the generosity of a man is the goodness of his provisions when he travels. When traveling it is necessary to speak kindly to the people and to offer food and to behave in a good mannered way on the journey. He should choose a companion so that he does not travel alone. A companion who would help him in the religion, so if he forgets, he reminds him, and help him if he remembers. As the Prophet said: A man is on the religion of his friend. And the Prophet has forbidden any person from traveling alone. He should go to bid farewell to friends and family, to offer the prayer of the Prophet upon his departure. Someone said: I accompanied Abd Allah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) from Makkah to Madinah, and when I wanted to leave him, he saw me off and said: I heard the Prophet saying: Luqman said most surely when Allah, the Almighty is entrusted He keeps it. And I am entrusting Allah, the Almighty with your religion, your sincerity and the seal of your deeds. The traveler should perform the prayer of asking Allah to choose for him before his travel, according to what we have described in the book of prayer. At the time of his departure he should perform the prayer for traveling. When he reaches the door of his house he should say: In the name of Allah, I put my trust in Allah, there is no power nor intercession except with Allah, my Lord I seek refuge in you that I mislead or misled or that I humiliate someone or that I be humiliated, or oppress or be oppressed, or to be ignorant or have things kept from me. And when he walks he must say: O Allah by You I travel, and upon You I relay, there is no power or intercession except with You and towards You I set myself. O Allah You are my trust and You are my hope, keep me away from worry, there is no god except You, O Allah endue me with piety, and forgive me my sins, and turn me towards good wherever I go. He should leave the house early. Gaber said: The Prophet departed on Thursday when he was going to Tabuk and said: O Allah bless my nation in their earliness. The traveler should take with him six things. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: When he traveled the Prophet used to take six things with him: a mirror, a bottle, a scissors, a siwak (toothbrush) kohl, and a comb. Concerning the Ethics of Returning from Travel The Prophet used, on his return from campaign or pilgrimage or Umrah, to praise Allah upon every hillock of the earth three times and say: There is no god except Allah alone, no partner to Him, to Hi is the dominion and all thanks, and He has power over all things, we are returning repentant, worshiping, prostrating, to our Lord we are most grateful. Allah has fulfilled His promise and given victory to His servant and alone ahs defeated the allies. And when he arrives back in his town, he should say: O Allah make for us in it a stay and a good provision. And he should send in advance to his family someone to give them glad tidings of his arrival, so that he does not enter upon them suddenly, and might see them while they are unprepared. He should not arrive at his house at night, as the Prophet has forbidden that. He used, on his return, to enter the Mosque first and pray two kneelings and then enter the house, and when he entered said: We repent and return to our Lord. Our Lord no sin should take us suddenly. Chapter Two Concerning what the Traveler Should Learn of What is Permissible During Travel, the Direction of the Qiblah and the Time of Prayer Know that the traveler needs at the outset his journey to provide for his worldly life and for his end. As to the provision for this worldly life: it is food and drink and what he will need for his expenses. But if he leaves without provision, there is no blame on him in this, if his travel was in the company of others, or if his journey is through villages, which are at a near distance to each other. But if he travels through the desert alone or with others who have no food or drink, if he was one of those who can tolerate hunger a week or tens days, if he can manage to live by eating grass he may do that. But if he cannot bear hunger nor tolerate eating grass, his departure without food is a sin as he would be throwing himself into destruction. As to the provision of the Hereafter, it is the knowledge, which he needs in his purity, fasting, prayer, and worship, so he must equip himself with it. This would alleviate the burden of travel as he needs to know about shortening the prayer, gathering in prayer, and breaking the fast. To enable him to learn about matters he did not need to know about before traveling, such as the direction of the Qiblah and the time of prayers. The Eighth Book On Audition and Emotion Chapter One The Disagreement Among Scholars Regarding The Permissibility of Audition and an Exposition on the Truth Concerning It An Exposition on the Opinion of the Scholars And Sufis Regarding its Lawfulness or Unlawfulness Know that audition is the primary factor in any matter, it then develops ;in the ehart a condition called emotion, the emotion develops into moving the limbs in either ran unbalanced move, which is called a disturbance, or in a balanced move, which is called an applause and dance. Let us begin with audition, which is the primary factor, and to tell you what has been put forward about it by the various schools of thought. Then we will show the evidence of its permissibility, then we will respond to those who favor its prohibition. As for the schools of thought: Judge Al About Taib al Tabbari has related to Al Shafii, and Malik, and About Hanifah and Sufyan, and a group of scholars, sayings indicating that they were of the opinion favoring its prohibition. Al Shafi ( may Allah have mercy upon him) has said in his book on the ethics of judgment: Singing is a disliked amusement akin to falsehood, and whoever indulges in it is foolish and his testimony is unacceptable. But Malik - may Allah have mercy upon him - has forbidden singing and said: If any of you bought a slave girl and found her to be a singer, you should send her back. And this opinion is also held by all the people of Madinah except Ibrahim ib Saad and his grandfather. Abou Hanifah - may Allah be pleased with him - used to hate singing, and he made listening to it a sin, and thus were the entire people of al Kufah: Sufyan al Thawri, Hammad, Ibrahim, and Al Shabi and others. Abou Talib al Makki conveyed from a group that audition is permissible and said that he heard this from some of the Companions; Abd Allah ibn Ghaffar, Abd Allah ibn al Zubayr, al Mughirah ibn shubah and Muwiyah and others. And he also said: Many of the righteous ancestors have said the same. Whether they were of the Companions or followers. It was said to abi al Hassan bin Salem: How do you reject audition while al Genade, Sirri al Saqty, and Zul al Noon listened to it? So he said: How would I reject audition while those who are better than me permit it. Abd Allah ibn Ghaffar al Tayyar (the flying) used to listen to it, but I reject the use of auditon in jesting and playing. An Exposition on the Evidence in Favor of Audition We begin by saying: the text and analogy all indicate its permissibility. As to analogy: It is that singing is surrounded by many meanings each of, which should be individually and collectively investigated. There is audition of a good voice well balanced and comprehendible, which moves the emotions, the general conclusion is that it is a good voice. Then the good voice divides into the balanced and unbalanced. The balanced divides into what is comprehendible, such as poetry and the incomprehensible, such as the sounds of solids and all animals. As for listening to a good voice, since it is good it should not be prohibited, but is lawful according to text and analogy. As for text: Text indicates the permissibility of hearing the beautiful voice in a way of appreciation of what Allah, the Almighty has bestowed upon His servants, as He said: He increases creation as He pleases (Koran 35 verse 1). It is said that this is the beautiful voice. Abou Soliman said: Audition does not produce something that does not exist in the heart, but it moves what is in it. Chanting of rhymed poetry is acceptable in certain circumstances, such as the singing of the pilgrim, and the soldier as an incentive and morale booster, and this is permissible. Rhythmic wailing and lamenting increases grief, weeping and depression. Grief is two parts: Praiseworthy and blameworthy: The blameworthy is to grieve over what you have missed. And to grieve for the deceased and the like is discontent for the fate of Allah and sorrow for what you cannot attain. This kind of grief is blameworthy, that is why its prohibition is so clear. The praiseworthy grief is the grief of the human for his shortcomings with regard to his religion, it is his sorrow for his sins, in such case to weep or feel sorrow is praiseworthy. Audition for pleasure is permissible if the pleasure is upon the occasion of a feast or a wedding, or upon someones return from absence, or at al aqiqah or upon the birth or circumcision of a child, or at the end of a memorization of the Glorious Koran. All this is permissible in order to show happiness. The evidence for the permissibility of this was shown on the occasion when the Prophet was arriving in Madinah and the women went to the rooftops with tambourines and chanted in joy at his arrival. To show delight at the arrival of the Prophet is praiseworthy, showing pleasure in poetry and dance and movement is also praiseworthy. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I saw the Prophet covering me with his garment while I was watching the Abyssinians playing in the mosque, and he let me watch until I had had enough of watching. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) also said: The Prophet entered while I had two girls singing, so he lay down on his rug and turned his face away, then Abou Bakr - may Allah be pleased with him - came in and scolded me saying: The tool of Satan at the house of the Prophet? The Prophet turned toward him and said: Leave them be. So when he went to sleep, I motioned to them to leave. These are all true Hadiths, which show clearly that singing and play are not unlawful. An Exposition on the Circumstances in, which Audition is Forbidden If you would ask are there circumstances in, which audition is forbidden? I would say, it is forbidden in five instances: In the case of the one who is singing, if she is a woman and it is unlawful for him to look at her, and he fears temptation from listening to her, then it is unlawful because of the fear of temptation not because of the singing itself. In the case of the instrument, if it is a single piped instrument or a stringed instrument or a drum, these three are forbidden, other than that is permissible. In the case of rhythmic singing, if it is poetry, if it is something indecent or slander or something untrue about Allah and His Messenger or the Companions, listening to it is unlawful, and the one who listens shares in the sin of the one who says it. In the case of the one who listens to it persistently, if he is overtaken by a desire in listening to it. Then listening to it is unlawful. In the case of the person of the common people and the love of Allah, the Almighty does not overtake him, but he is controlled by his desires, then audition should be forbidden to him. The Ninth Book On Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil Chapter One The Obligation of Enjoining Good Forbidding Evil and its Virtues and the Evil of Neglecting and Losing it As for the evidence for enjoining good and forbidding evil in the Koran Allah, the Almighty said: And be a nation inviting to uprightness and enjoining right and forbidding wrong, those they are the successful. (Koran 3 verse 104) In this verse the obligation is clear, as Glory be to Him says: And be.. this is an order, and the exposition of success is related to the order if it has been carried out, as He said: those they are the successful. It is shown that this is a collective duty, not an individual duty and if some have attended to it, the obligation will be lifted from the others. Since He did not say be all of you inviting to uprightness and enjoining right and forbidding wrong, but He said: Be a nation He High Exalted has also said: Not all the people of earlier Scripture are the same, there are some of them steadfast reciting the Revelations of Allah (Koran) all night and prostrate in prayer before Allah-* They believe in Allah and the Last Day, they enjoin right and forbid wrong, and vie with one another in good deeds, these are among the righteous. (Koran 3 verse 113-114) so Allah, the Almighty did not state that they are righteous just because they believe in Allah and the Last Day, but they enjoin good and forbid evil. And also Allah High Exalted said: And the believing men and the believing women, they are the friends of each other, they enjoin good and forbid evil, and establish prayers (Koran 9 verse 71) He described them as believers in that they enjoin good and forbid evil, so the one who neglects enjoining good and forbidding evil is not one of the believers according to this verse. As for the evidence of enjoining good and forbidding evil in Tradition, Abou Bakr - may Allah be pleased with him - said in his speech: O people you are reading this verse and explaining it contrary to its meaning: O you who believe! Take care of your own souls, he who is astray cannot harm you, if you are rightly guided(Koran 5 verse 105) I have heard the Prophet saying: Any people who are committing sins and there are among them those who are able to forbid them from doing that, and he failed to do so, surely Allah will smite them all with a severe punishment from Him. The Prophet said: O people, Allah said: You should enjoin good and forbid evil or you will not get any response to your prayer. As for the evidence of enjoining good and forbidding evil in the sayings of the Companions: Abou Darda - may Allah be pleased with him - said: You should enjoin good and forbid evil or Allah will incite against you an oppressor ruler who will not respect your elderly nor would he have mercy to your young, the best of you will pray against him, but their prayer will not be accepted, and you will seek help but you will not get it, and you will seek forgiveness but will not be forgiven. Hathitha - may Allah be pleased with him - was asked about the living dead, he said: He is the one who does not forbid the unlawful by his hand nor by his tongue, nor by his heart. Ali ibn Abou Talib - may Allah be pleased with him - said: The first of what you overcome in jihad is the jihad with your hands, then jihad with your tongues, then jihad with your hearts, but if your heart does not know maruf (enjoining good) and does not forbid the unlawful, then it is turned upside down. It was said to Fudail: Are you not going to enjoin and forbid? He said: There was a people who enjoined and forbade, then they became pagans, this is because they could not bear patiently the consequences of their enjoining and forbidding. It was said to al Thawri: Do you not enjoining what is good and forbid what is evil? He said: If the sea bursts, who is able to hold it back? This explains the real purpose of the Islamic society: that people adopt piety and virtue in their lives and do their utmost to help eradicate sin, evil and injustice, and promote and establish virtue, goodness and justice in their individual and social relationships. So to conduct human life upon these lines, the Shariah states its norms of virtues and good (marufat) and of avoidance of sin and evils (munkarat) to, which the individual and society conduct must conform. It not merely provides an inventory of virtues and vices for man but also lays down the whole scheme of life is such a way that virtues may flourish without being polluted or retarded by vices. The Shariah conducts human society towards the free growth of good, virtue and truth in every area of life. This gives full play to the forces of good in all directions and at the same time removes all impediments in the path of virtue. In order to eradicate evil from society, it prohibits vice and closes all possible doors from, which it can creep into society. The Virtues of Enjoining Good Virtues are classified into three categories: Mandatory (fard) Recommended (matlub) Permissible (mubah) The mandatory are obligatory and every member of a Muslim society must observe and practice these commandments. The recommended virtues are thos ewhich are desirable and the Shariah wants them to be observed and practiced by people. The growth of these is encouraged in a Muslim society but actual observance is left to the discretion of the individual. All others, which are not prohibited are permissible and, again, are left to individual taste and social practice. The person has complete freedom of choice depending upon his own tastes and preferences. Chapter Two The Principles of Enjoining Good and its Conditions Know that the principles in all hisbah of comprehensive obligation towards enjoining good and forbidding evil are four: Al muhtasab (one for, which you can expect reward in the Hereafter) He should be a faithful Muslim and true believer who is fair and just, who has attained full age, is of sound mind and able. Al muhtasab alayh: Any human who commits a forbidden sin. Al muhtasab fi: Every forbidden evil, which presents itself to you, and is known to be forbidden, which is openly evident to you. If anyone commits a sin inside his own house, closing his doors upon himself, it is not permissible for another person to spy upon him. Allah, the Almighty has forbidden that: O you who believe! Do not enter houses other than your own houses until you have asked permission, and given salutations to the people therein (Koran 24 verse 27) Ihtisab comprises degrees and ethics. As to the degrees, first is to know, then to forbid, then to advise and admonish, then to scold, then to restrain with your hands, then to threaten with beating, then to beat, then to use a weapon, then to seek the help of others. As for the ethics, the ethics of al muhtasab, are comprised of three characteristics: knowledge, piety, and good manners. While these three characteristics al hisbah becomes one of the good deeds, which repel the unlawful. Chapter Three Munkarat The Customary Prohibitions In the Habits of the People Prohibited things (munkarat) are of two kinds: haram (unlawful) makruh (disliked) Muslims are to abstain totally from forbidden (haram) things, but in the case of makruhat (disliked) the Shariah shows, expressly or by implication, disproval. There are several things, between these two extremes of haram and makruhat, which are on the border. The Shariah has, however, given strict prohibitory orders against those bordering on haram, but left the case of those bordering on makruhat to the discretion and tastes of individual members of the Muslim society. Both these measures help a great deal in establishing and promotion virtue and good and eradicating and discouraging evil and sin in society. The Tenth Book The Ethics of Living as Exemplified in the Virtues of the Prophet I had resolved to end the Quarter of Customs of this book with a comprehensive book dealing with the manners of living, in order that their deduction from the entirety of this book should not be difficult for the student. Then I realized, however, that each book of the Quarter of Customs had already dealt with a particular class of manners, and since I find the task of repetition painful and tedious; people being disposed to a dislike of the repetition of customs; I have decided to restrict myself in this book to the mention of the manner and character of the Prophet, may Allah praise and venerate him, as related by tradition. In this, I will weave together the reports, section by section, without their isnads (chain of authority relating to a particular report), in order to bring together in this book, in addition to the mention of the manners of Muhammad, the restoration and strengthening of the faith through the testimony of Muhammads noble character; a fact to, which the single traditions testify without a doubt, namely, that he was the most noble of the creations of Allah creations, and the most noble in rank and power. Hence, how much more so is this true when the traditions are all combined. AAAAAA???? Title change? The Account of the Disciplining Muhammad by Allah, His friend and His Chosen, By the Koran The Messenger of Allah was very humble and supplicatory of Allah, continuously asking Him to adorn him with fine qualities of breeding, and noble qualities of character. While praying he used to say: O Allah, embellish my external and internal natures, and O Allah, cause me to shun the disapproved qualities of character. At this Allah, the Almighty answered his prayer faithful to His statement: Call upon Me and I shall answer you (Koran 40 verse 60) by sending down the Koran and disciplining him through its teaching, so that Muhammads nature was the Koran. Sad ibn Hisham said: I visited Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her and her father, and asked her concerning the character of the Messenger of Allah. She said: Do you not read the Koran? I said: Yes. Then she said: The moral nature of the Messenger of Allah was the Koran. Only the Koran disciplined him by the examples of its word; e.g. Be pardoning, enjoin what is right and excuse the ignorant. (Koran 7 verse 199) Most surely Allah enjoins justice, the doing of good deeds and generosity to near of kin, and He forbids indecency, abomination and tyranny (Koran 16 verse 90) bear with patience whatever befalls you, this is true steadfastness. (Koran 31 verse 17) And whoever shows patience and forgiveness, surely that is true fortitude. (Koran 42 verse 43) So ignore them, and disregard their treason. Surely Allah loves the charitable. (Koran 24 verse 22) but let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? (Koran 24 verse 22) Repel evil with what is best, then he with whom you had enmity shall become as a loyal friend! (Koran 41 verse 34) who restrain anger, and pardon people, and Allah loves the charitable. (Koran 3 verse 134) Shun most suspicion, some suspicion is a sin. And do not spy, nor backbite each other (Koran 49 verse 12) When the Prophets two front teeth were broken and he was wounded in the Battle of Uhud, so that the blood flowed over his face, he wiped the blood saying: How do a people who dye the face of their Prophet with blood succeed, while he calls them to their Lord! At this Allah sent down the verse: The matter is not in your hands (Koran 3 verse 128) as a directive in regard to that there being innumerable examples of these directives in the Koran. The Prophet was the first intended for the function of disciplining and refining. Then the light spread from him over the whole of creation, for he was disciplined by means of the Koran and he in turn disciplined creation. For this reason he said: I was sent to complete the noble qualities of character. After, which mankind became desirous of the fine qualities of character as we mentioned in the book Riyadat al-Nafs wa Tahdhib al-Akhlaq (The training of the soul and the refinement of character), a process, which we will not mention here. When Allah, the Almighty perfected his character, He praised him and said: And surely you are of a great morality. (Koran 68 verse 4) Then Allah, the Almighty how great is His state and how perfect is His bestowing of favor viewing Muhammads complete kindness and his great excellence how municifently He bestowed praised him. Furthermore, He who had embellished him with the noble character added that praise and said: And surely you are of a great morality. (Koran 68 verse 4). Thereafter the Messenger of Allah explained to mankind that Allah loves the fine qualities of character and detests the bad qualities of character. Ali said: How strange that a Muslim, when a fellow Muslim comes to him in need, does not regard himself obliged to bestow favor. For even if he did not hope for reward and did not fear punishment, it still would have been necessary for him to hasten to act generously, since good actions point the path to salvation. Then a man said to Ali: Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah? And Ali said: Yes, and that, which is better than this. When the prisoners of Tayyi were brought, there arose a girl from amongst them who said: O Muhammad, would that you free me and prevent the Arab tribes from rejoicing at my bad fortune; for I am a daughter of the chief of my people, who defended the family, freed the captive, sated the hungry, fed, extended greatings, and never refused anyone who sought him in need. I am a daughter of Hatim al-Tai. Then the Prophet said: O girl, this is truly the description of the Muslims. If your father were a Muslim, we would say: Allah have mercy on him. Free her! For her father loved the noble qualities of character and indeed Allah loves these qualities. Then Abou Burda ibn Niyar arose and said: O Messenger of Allah, does Allah love the noble qualities of character? And the Prophet replied: By Him in whose hands in my life, no one shall enter Paradise except he who is of good character. And on the authority of Muadh ibn Jabal it is related that the Prophet said: Indeed Allah encompasses Islam with noble qualities of character and with fine deeds. Now amongst these qualities are: having pleasant social relations, doing noble actions, being submissive, bestowing favor, feeding others, extending greetings, visiting the sick Muslim whether he be pious or profligate, escorting the bier of a Muslim, protecting your neighbor whether he be Muslim or a disbeliever, honoring the aged Muslim, answering the invitation to food, the inviting of others, bestowing pardon, making peace between people, liberality, nobility of character, forbearance, being the first to extend greeting, repressing anger, pardoning people, shunning what Islam forbids, namely, frivolous sports, vanity, song, all musical instruments, revenge, guile, slander, falsehood, avarice, niggardliness, rudeness, artifice, deception, calumny, wronging friendship, forsaking blood kindred, bad moral character, haughtiness, boasting, self-conceit, arrogance, pride, immoderation, foulness of language, rancour, envy, levity, injustice, oppression and tyranny. Anas ibn Malik said: Muhammad did not call out a fine counsel without having induced and ordered us to follow it, nor did he call out fraud or say vice or disgraceful but that he cautioned and prohibited us in regard to it. And this verse of the Koran will suffice for all of these maxims: Most surely Allah enjoins justice, the doing of good deeds (Koran 16 verse 90) Muadh ibn Jabal said: The Messenger of Allah commanded me saying: O Muadh, I command you to fear Allah, to report truthfully, to fulfill the oath, to act loyally, to avoid perfidious actions, to care for the neighbor, to have mercy on the orphan, to be soft spoken, to be liberal of extending greeting, to perform fine acts, to limit expectation, to cleave to the faith, to study the Koran, to love the other life, to be anxious in regard to the Reckoning, to act humbly; I forbid you to abuse the learned, to accuse an honest man of lying, to obey the sinner, to disobey a just man, to put a land in disorder; and I command you to fear Allah at every stone, tree or village, and that you show repentance for every sin, secret or public. Thus the Prophet disciplined the servants of Allah and urged them to be well mannered and to possess the noble qualities of character. A Summary Account of his Fine Qualities of Character, which Certain of the Learned Have Gathered and Collected from the Reports The Messenger of Allah was the most forbearing, honest, just and chaste of men. His hand never touched the hand of a woman over whom he did not have the right of control, with whom he did not have the right to sexual relations, or who was unlawful for him to marry. He was the most generous of men. Neither a dinar nor a dirham was left him in the evening. If something remained, and there was not anyone to whom he could give this excess night having fallen unexpectedly he did not retire to his lodging until he was able to give this excess to whoever was in need of it. The Messenger of Allah did not take of those things, which Allah gave him, except his yearly provisions. He gave the remaining excess of his small quantity of dates and barley to charity. He was never asked for anything but he gave it (to he who asked), moreover,